ZAGREB, December 29, 2018 – Assistant Economy Minister Zvonimir Novak met with unionists on Friday to inform them about the situation at the Croatian shipyards, saying afterwards that several potential partners were checking the docks’ data and that binding offers were expected after January 18.
After Uljanik’s management decided that the Kermas Energija company is no longer a potential strategic partner, the search for a new one has begun, Novak said.
He said several reputable European and international shipyards had contacted them and were satisfied with the docks’ technical equipment and workers’ knowledge, but they wanted to see the books before possibly making a binding offer.
Novak said they were mainly interested in Rijeka’s 3. Maj and some for the whole Uljanik Group, of which 3. Maj is part. “The data room will remain open until January 18 and in the week after that we expect that binding offers will arrive in Uljanik d.d.”
Asked how bankruptcy proceedings in 3. Maj might affect the procedure, Novak said bankruptcy was neither simple nor cheap and that if it included reorganisation, it should be financed.
SSSH union federation president Mladen Novosel said management were the most responsible for the situation at Uljanik and 3. Maj. He said they should have reacted sooner, instead of ending up with no money for wages and material and having jobs cancelled.
The only chance is that one of the interested strategic partners “shows up” by January 25, he said, adding that he does not expect bankruptcy proceedings to be opened in the next three weeks and that they will not be unavoidable after January 25 either. He urged management to pay a minimum wage to the docks’ workers until a strategic partner is found.
3. Maj unionist Juraj Šoljić hopes this dock will not go into bankruptcy and that a strategic partner will be found by January 25 that will continue with shipbuilding at Rijeka.
Đino Šverko, a unionist at Pula’s Uljanik dock, said they wanted a strategic partner that would focus on shipbuilding and on saving shipbuilding in Pula and Rijeka. He called on the government to urgently adopt an emergency aid measure.
More news on the Croatian shipyards can be found in our Business section.
