CROATIAN GOVERNMENT DISCUSSES RAILMEN'S STRIKE

ZAGREB, Dec 4 (Hina) - The Government of the Republic of Croatia on Wednesday discussed the strike in the Croatian Railways (HZ), the Government's public relations office said in a statement. The Government expressed support to the Ministry of the Transport and the Croatian Railways Management in the consistent implementation of the Government's conclusions and in efforts aimed at finding a settlement by negotiations. The Government reiterated that it had met all commitments it had assumed under the 1996 February agreement with railways trade unions. The Government obliged the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Communications and the Croatian Railways Management to continue negotiations with all trade unions in order that the normal operating system of train services at the Croatian Railways could be resumed, a statement said. The Government concluded that other means of transportation can be used for the purpose of implementation of the decision on the necessary trains that must operate during a strike, which the transport minister had made under the Law on Croatian Railways. The Government said that the Law envisaged that employees who fail to act in line with the Minister's decision, could be dismissed. According to international conventions and the Croatian Constitution the Government warned that the right to strike can be exercised only in line with laws (in this case in line with labor relations law and law on Croatian Railways). To go on strike is the personal right and personal decision of every employee, and therefore workers could not be forces to participate in a strike, since this put in question the legality of the strike, the statement said. Failing to respect the decision on minimum train services also put in question the legality of the strike, and therefore the Croatian Railways Management filed a suit to the Supreme Court demanding from the Court to ban the strike, as the strike was being held against law provisions. The Government also supported efforts made by eight trade unions (within the HZ company) who were not on strike aimed at overcoming the serious situation through negotiations when the work was continuing. Under the Labour Relations Law, wage pay and other benefits, except for child benefit, would be decreased to strikers proportionately to a period spent on strike, while the Government guaranteed entire wage pay to all others who were forced to stop working, according to the statement. (hina) jn mš 041659 MET dec 96