ZAGREB, July 12, 2019 – Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović on Thursday expressed concern over the fate of 900 workers at the Aluminij smelting plant in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and due to the escalation of the problems at that strategically important company, she requested an opinion from the Croatian government.
Grabar-Kitarović assessed that the escalation of the situation is the result of years of ignoring obvious problems in the business operations of that strategically important company.
“I am worried about the workers’ fate and livelihood and strongly support them in their demands for shedding light on all the facts that led to this situation. I would like to believe that Croatia as a co-owner of Aluminij has done everything in its power to protect national interests and the interests of the workers and I have asked the government to present its opinion as a matter of urgency,” Grabar-Kitarović said in a press release.
Production at Aluminij stopped just after midnight on July 9 when its electricity supply was cut off over debts incurred. The company’s management board then quickly announced that it would launch bankruptcy proceedings.
Aluminij is the largest company in Herzegovina with about 900 workers and a turnover of approximately 163 million euro. It was founded in 1981 and stopped operating during the 1992-1995 war. After the war it was reconstructed with the assistance of the Croatian government in 1997. Croatia owns a 12% share in the company, the government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity holds 44% of its shares and workers hold the remaining 44%.
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