ZAGREB, November 20, 2018 – Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković received on Monday the owner of Ukraine’s Smart Holding Group, Vadim Novinski, for talks on its interest in investing in Croatia’s ailing Uljanik shipbuilding group. Plenković and the Ukrainian investor had a constructive and open talk, the government said in a press release.
Novinski requested more detailed information about the current state of affairs in Uljanik and it was agreed that the Economy Ministry, in cooperation with the group’s management, would provide it, the press release said, adding that Economy Minister Darko Horvat was present at the talks.
In the meantime, workers of the Pula-based Uljanik shipyard, who have been on strike over unpaid salaries since October 20, will resume work on November 20, suspending the strike until the end of the month, strike committee chairman Boric Cerovac told Hina on Monday after a meeting between workers and management.
The meeting discussed the shipowners’ dissatisfaction with the fact that work on their ships has been stopped, unpaid salaries, and the workers’ wish to prove to the government that they want to earn their pay, he said.
At the end of the month, the decision to suspend the strike will be discussed again and it will certainly depend on the payment of salaries for September and October as well the government’s endorsement of a restructuring programme the dock, Cerovac said.
He added that the strike might resume even before the end of the month if the dock’s problems were not dealt with.
Cerovac said management told workers the restructuring programme would be sent to the government today, but workers were not told when the salaries for September and October might be paid.
For more on the problems in Croatian shipyards, click here.
