Eighteen buses carrying about 400 workers of Pula's Uljanik shipyard and about 500 workers of Rijeka's 3. Maj shipyard set out for Zagreb on Monday morning, where they plan to stage a protest outside the government building and demand payment of their wages for July.

Workers of the Uljanik Group, which consists of seven companies, including Pula’s Uljanik and Rijeka’s 3. Maj shipyard, have been on strike since Wednesday over their unpaid wages, which were due to be paid by August 15 at the latest.

Members of regional unions active at the two shipyards are expected to meet with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and Economy Minister Darko Horvat. The unionist said they plan to demand that a solution be found urgently to preserve jobs at the shipyards, and also to ensure the sustainability of the shipbuilding sector going forward.

“The main priority is the payment of wages, but also (ensuring) the government’s strong involvement (in the process). The government must stop hoping for Uljanik to go bankrupt. We will urge the government to focus strongly on the restructuring programme (for the Uljanik Group) so as to save jobs,” the head of the striking committee, Djino Sverko, told reporters before departing for Zagreb.

Commenting on media speculation that the July wages for Uljanik Group workers could be secured by taking out a loan at a commercial bank, Sverko said that he believed a solution would be found, and that “as soon as the wages are paid, the strike will end.”

Sverko’s deputy Boris Bucanac, a union representative at the 3. Maj shipyard, said that apart from the payment of wages, 3. Maj workers also wanted Uljanik’s debts to be repaid, and that it was time for 3. Maj to be split off from the Uljanik Group, and continue its business activities teamed up with some other business partner.

The shop steward of the Metal Workers’ Union at 3. Maj, Juraj Soljic, thanked the authorities of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and the Rijeka city government for helping organise the strikers’ journey to Zagreb.

Soljic said the government shared the responsibility for the situation at the two shipyards, and that 3. Maj workers had four main demands – wage payment, the resignations of the two shipyards’ management boards, the repayment of 3. Maj’s loan to Uljanik, and the separation of 3. Maj from Uljanik Group.

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