UNION DISMISSES MINISTER'S CLAIM THAT ILO ORGANISED PLITVICE SEMINAR

ZAGREB, May 2 (Hina) - The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Croatia (SSSH) on Thursday dismissed claims by Labour and Welfare Minister Davorko Vidovic that the International Labour Organisation (ILO) organised a seminar on labour legislation that started at the Plitvice national park today. #L# Vidovic recently stated that the two-day seminar was organised by the ILO, however, the SSSH claims that the organiser of the seminar was actually the US Agency for International Development. The SSSH says that it was not informed that the ILO would be involved in the planning and organisation of the seminar in any way, but that it would send a consultant to the meeting. The union federation says that an ILO mission for legislation and labour market will soon visit Croatia to help social partners reach a good solution with regard to the announced changes to the Labour Act. Most union federations did not send their representatives to the Plitvice seminar. The president of the Croatian Association of Trade Unions, Zdenko Mucnjak, was the only union leader, along with a representative of the Council of Croatian Public Service Workers to attend. (hina) rml