Poland's big creditors agree to ease repayment

Officials of Poland's 15 major Western creditor nations agreed on a plan to ease the repayment of most of its official debts falling due in the next eight months, sources here said. Officials agreed to reschedule 90 percent of Poland's official debt falling due in the eight months starting May 1.

Meanwhile, the Polish government and free trade union Solidarity appeared to have made significant progress in their first major strike-free negotiations. A joint parliamentary-union commission has completed a preliminary draft of a labor law, and a government team signed an agreement in the nor theast Suwalki region.