SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS' UNION ANNOUNCES STRIKES

ZAGREB, Feb 17 (Hina) - The independent trade union of secondary school teachers, on Monday announced "the first series of strikes for a collective agreement in secondary schools." The first strike would be a five-minute work stoppage on February 20, then one-hour-long strike would be held on February 27, and a one-day strike would follow on March 6, the trade union's leader Vesna Kanizaj said in Zagreb. Kanizaj said the strikes would be cancelled if the collective agreement was signed between the union and the Government in the meantime. The Croatian Government issued a statement last Friday saying it regretted over the failure of negotiations on the collective agreement. The Government also said that Mrs. Kanizaj had radicalized each question when there was a chance that the two sides might agree. On Monday Kanizaj said that the union was expecting that the final document would be signed by noon tomorrow. In case that the document is not to be signed, the union will regard this as "one-sided act of breaking off collective negotiations." In that event the union would organise public gatherings and events, Kanizaj added. (hina) jn mš 171648 MET feb 97