RAILWAY WORKERS' UNION ASKS RACAN TO INITIATE PROCEDURE TO ESTABLISH TRANSPORT MINISTER'S RESPONSIBILITY

ZAGREB, Sept 22 (Hina) - The Union of Croatian Railway Workers on Friday sent an open letter to Prime Minister Ivica Racan, saying draft measures for the restructuring of the Croatian Railway (HZ), which were approved by the Government on Thursday and should be adopted by parliament, definitely eliminated all prospects of resolving the problem through social dialogue. The union requests that the draft, which they believe was poorly prepared, not be sent into parliamentary procedure and that a procedure for establishing responsibility be initiated against Transport Minister Alojz Tusek. The draft measures, which are also contained in a draft on HZ's strategy and restructuring, suggest cuts in HZ's operation, a gradual (over the next ten years) increase in prices, the cancellation of some railway services, and cuts in work force. The union claims the draft measures were made by people who over the past ten years had shown that they do not know how to manage the HZ and were signed by the minister who told parliamentary deputies that no HZ worker would be fired, only later to sign a proposal on laying off 1,750 workers only as a first step. The union warns Prime Minister Racan that no dialogue had been established with the Transport Ministry and that there also had been no dialogue regarding the proposed measures. In the letter, signed by the union president Darko Pericic, the union reminds Racan of his statement that proposals which have not been discussed with the unions will be rejected. (hina) rml