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Welcome to the 9th Congress of the ETUC in Helsinki 29.6.-2.7.1999

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The news service is sponsored by SAK, the largest central trade union in Finland, and eleven of its 24 affiliated unions.
SAK makes an appeal for peace in Kosovo
and donates 20,000 USD to help the refugees

Helsinki (14.04.1999 - Juhani Artto) SAK, the largest central trade union in Finland, states that the problems of Kosovo can be solved only at the negotiation table. "President Slobodan Milosevic has to end the atrocities against the Albanian population and return to the negotiation table to relieve the crisis", SAK emphasises.

"Among the thousands of civilian victims are the trade union activists who have also suffered. The chairman of the Council of Kosovo's Independent Central Organisation of Trade Unions BSPK has been killed and the union's President has been arrested."

"The trade union movement also plays an important role in starting the extremely difficult peace process and reconstruction", SAK says.

"The most urgent task is to help the immense refugee population. The expelled inhabitants of Kosovo can best be helped in the areas nearby and in starting the reconstruction of their own country after the restoration of peace. Unless there is no fast improvement in the situation of the refugees, Finland along with other EU countries has to be ready for the reception of people in need."

SAK has decided to donate 100,000 Finnish marks (FIM = 0,18 USD or 0,17 Euros) to the Catastrophe Fund of the Finnish Red Cross to be used in humanitarian work for the benefit of Kosovo refugees.