ZAGREB, April 2, 2019 – The Uljanik shipbuilding group said on Monday that a client from Kuwait had cancelled a contract for the construction of a vessel for livestock transport but that it was willing to negotiate new contract terms and have Uljanik continue work on the vessel.
Livestock Transport & Trading Co. terminated the existing contract because the vessel could not be delivered in line with the terms defined by the current contract, said the shipyard, which has been in financial trouble for months.
It added that the client was willing to renegotiate the contract and that talks on that were under way.
Several other clients in 2018 and earlier this year terminated their contracts with Uljanik for the construction of ships.
The head of the shipyard’s strike committee, Boris Cerovac, said in Pula on Monday workers were continuing with the strike, even though the Metalworkers’ Union (SMH) decided to end it, while the Adriatic Union and the Istria, Kvarner and Dalmatia Union believe workers cannot return to work as they have not received seven monthly wages.
SMH shop steward Đino Šverko said the SMH formally no longer had a representative on the strike committee and that the Uljanik workers who were SMH members were also on strike and fully supported all committee decisions.
“Who’s so naive to end the strike? We haven’t been paid for seven months, the workers are hungry, nearly every international labour organisation convention is being breached. I ask once again that a decision on Uljanik be made as soon as possible,” said Sverko.
More Uljanik news can be found in the Business section.
