ZAGREB, 3 Dec (Hina) - The Croatian Railway Workers' Union, which has been on strike since 28 November, late Monday suspended all trains in Croatia, except those serving the Croatian army and the NATO-led peace implementation force in
Bosnia-Herzegovina. According to Tuesday reports, the situation is still unchanged.
ZAGREB, 3 Dec (Hina) - The Croatian Railway Workers' Union, which
has been on strike since 28 November, late Monday suspended all
trains in Croatia, except those serving the Croatian army and the
NATO-led peace implementation force in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
According to Tuesday reports, the situation is still
unchanged. #L#
The Union suspended all trains at midnight, accusing the
Croatian Railways (HZ) management of exerting pressure on striking
workers, which was later denied by the HZ management.
The Union said it suspended all railway services because two
local trains, which were not included in a decision by the Minister
of Transport on trains which must operate during the strike, have
been started. The second reason was the suspension of a railway
worker who was on strike, the Union said.
Twenty per cent of passenger and freight trains were operating
in the period between the beginning of the strike and the
suspension of the entire railway service, in line with the decision
on the minimal functioning of railway traffic.
All international and local border trains, trains carrying oil
products and those serving the army as well as part of freight
trains were operating in that period.
The Union demands from the HZ management to allow the
suspended railway worker to return to work and to punish those
responsible for pressure, which, the Union claims, is being exerted
on the strikers.
The Croatian Railway Workers' Union, which gathers about one
third of all HZ workers, started the strike demanding the signing
of a collective agreement which would establish the price of
labour, respect for regulations from the HZ Labour Relations by-
laws and a long-term solution of problems of state railways.
The Union claims that services which are performed by its
members are paid less than other jobs in the Croatian Railways. The
Union also demands that wage differences within the company be
changed to their favor.
The HZ management stressed it did not have financial means to
meet the Union's demands, especially because the company has
suffered direct damage amounting to 1,6 million kuna per day since
the beginning of the strike. The management claims that November
wages may not be paid due to the damage caused by the strike.
The Croatian Government has refused to use budgetary assets to
raise railway workers' wages, stressing that it met its commitment
from a February agreement with the Union, according to which the
average wage in the Croatian Railways was to be balanced with the
average wage in economy.
The other eight unions of Croatian railway workers did not
join the strike, explaining that the Union's demands were
unfounded. They supported the HZ management and called on the
strikers to end the strike.
(hina) rm vm md
031606 MET dec 96