ZAGREB, Dec 1 (Hina) - President Stipe Mesic on Friday held talks with a delegation of the Independent Trade Unions of Croatia (NHS) on salaries, compliance with work agreements, and privatisation and ownership transformation in
public companies. Commenting on a strike announced by employees in public and state services and public companies for Dec. 8, President Mesic said workers were entitled to go on strike to express their views on legislation and employers' decisions. "If workers are unhappy with their position, they can organise strikes or react differently," he said, adding there were other ways to achieve the right solutions. Commenting on claims that the police and the military supported the Dec. 8 strike, Mesic said the public always sided with those whose rights were violated. "It is up to you to evaluate who is on whose side now," he told reporters. NHS president Kresimir Sever said the delegation tol
ZAGREB, Dec 1 (Hina) - President Stipe Mesic on Friday held talks
with a delegation of the Independent Trade Unions of Croatia (NHS)
on salaries, compliance with work agreements, and privatisation
and ownership transformation in public companies.
Commenting on a strike announced by employees in public and state
services and public companies for Dec. 8, President Mesic said
workers were entitled to go on strike to express their views on
legislation and employers' decisions. "If workers are unhappy with
their position, they can organise strikes or react differently," he
said, adding there were other ways to achieve the right solutions.
Commenting on claims that the police and the military supported the
Dec. 8 strike, Mesic said the public always sided with those whose
rights were violated. "It is up to you to evaluate who is on whose
side now," he told reporters.
NHS president Kresimir Sever said the delegation told the president
the government had derogated work agreements in public companies
and did not want to comply with agreements in the public sector.
"The president accepted our proposal that he mediate and announced
he would meet the prime minister next week and urge finding
solutions which will avert conflicts," Sever told reporters.
He said the unions were willing to go all the way after the
government had breached work agreements, the law, and
international conventions on collective negotiations. The
government's decision to return salaries to last year's level sets
a precedent, he said.
Besides going on strike, workers may resort to constitutional
lawsuits as well as individual ones for the violation of rights from
work contracts, said Sever. He hopes, however, the government will
"come to its senses" and withdraw the decision.
During talks on privatisation and restructuring in the economy, the
trade unionists told the president workers' representatives should
be involved in the privatisation of public companies so that their
rights might be protected.
(hina) ha