Strikes at the Pula-based Uljanik and Rijeka-based 3. Maj shipyards, which started on Wednesday morning after the workers’ salaries for July, which were due to be paid by August 15, had not been paid by Tuesday, August 21, are set to continue on Thursday.

Employees of all seven subsidiary companies in Pula and of the dock in Rijeka are on strike, with only security staff, firefighters, and emergency services on duty exempted. The strike will last until the salaries are paid, the workers’ union said.

Workers are also demanding that the management board at Uljanik, headed by Gianni Rosanda, step down, blaming them for the current situation in the company.

The unions, however, have said that they cannot demand management to step down as the strike was organised because they did not receive their wages.

Workers are calling for shipbuilding activities to continue in 3. Maj and for a solution to be found, as ships are on the slipway, yet there hasn’t been any work done on them for months because there is no money to supply the necessary material.

Union representatives in Pula and in Rijeka said that both the management and government should be held responsible for these developments, and urged the government to clearly state its position on the survival of the shipbuilding industry.

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