PKP unions furious over government plans, but avoid general strike

The unions object to the government's new strategy for restructuring the rail carrier and its eventual privatization. They claim that contrary to earlier agreements the strategy was not consulted with them and they demand that the Tripartite Commission be summoned before the end of June. The unions fear that the implementation of the new restructuring program will result in the further cuts in services and job losses. The restructuring program implemented so far have not brought the expected results. At the end of 2003, PKP's liabilities exceeded zł.8 billion. The company annually spends over zł.300 million on servicing its debt. Meanwhile, the carrier owns a lot of property it could sell. PKP owns for example real estate which in total covers 100,000 ha. The new restructuring plan forecasts that by 2010 the company will collect zł.270 million form the sale of redundant property. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, B2) E.B.