President Josipovic said that collective bargaining was the basis of social dialogue in European Union countries and that it should be protected.

The Office of the President said that the strikers' delegation informed President Josipovic of the reasons why they had gone on strike on Wednesday, including the unilateral cancellation of negotiations on a new collective agreement and concerns over the loss of jobs and professional rights.

"President Josipovic said that collective bargaining is the foundation of social dialogue in EU countries and should be also protected in Croatia," reads a press release from Josipovic's office.

The president added that law abidance, including abidance by labour legislation, financial regulations and professional standards, was necessary for ensuring that Croatia functioned as a law-based country respecting European values.

This should apply to all segments of the Croatian society, including the media, Josipovic was quoted by the press release as saying.

After the meeting, the trade union steward in Vecernji List, Anton Filic, said that during the hour-long talks the representatives of the striking reporters had acquainted Josipovic with the situation in the newspaper.

The president listened carefully to what we had to say. We did not expect him to take sides with anybody. He must remain neutral, Filic told Hina after the talks.

Filic said that the strike would continue until the strikers' demands were met.

The disgruntled workers insist on the extension of the previous collective agreement or the conclusion of a new one which would not drastically restrict their rights and entitlements.

Filic reiterated that Vecernji List strikers and other people and journalists who had expressed solidarity with them, would take part in a protest march from the Croatian Journalists' Association offices to the Vecernji List headquarters at 11 hrs Friday.

The union of staff councils in the Styria Media Group, which publishes Vecernji List, on Thursday expressed solidarity with employees of the Croatian newspaper and supported their demand for a stable and lasting collective agreement.

The union of staff councils calls on the Vecernji List management and on the management of the Styria group to defuse the situation and reach a lasting solution, according to a press release issued in Graz today.

The press release said the union of staff councils was following the situation in Vecernji List with concern.

The union also warned against double standards being applied in companies which are part of the Styria group.

Three Croatian trade union federations -- the HUS federation and two trade unions of civil servants -- joined in expressions of support for the striking workers in Vecernji List.

After the strikers called on readers to boycott the daily during their action, Boris Trupcevic, General Manager for Croatia at Styria Media International AG, said today the sale of the daily did not drop, but increased. However, he could not corroborate his statement with figures, saying only that readers sent letters expressing their wish to continue buying and reading the paper.