Following a meeting with government officials in Zagreb on Monday, representatives of the striking committee at the troubled Uljanik and 3. Maj shipyards said that money for two monthly wages might be secured by the end of the week and that the strike would end after they received their wages for July.

The workers at the two troubled shipyards have been on strike since Wednesday over unpaid wages for July, due to be paid out by August 15.

Around 11.30 a.m. some 1,000 workers of the Uljanik and 3. Maj shipyards arrived at St. Mark’s Square in Zagreb city centre, where the government building is located, and staged a protest, demanding their wages, and calling for the management of the Uljanik Group, which owns both shipyards, to step down.

“One of the two wages (for July and August) would be paid, and the other one would be ensured, and talks on the matter are now underway with several banks. After workers are given wages for July, they will end the strike,” said union leader Djino Sverko.

The meeting attended by the striking committee and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and cabinet ministers, in which ways to help the two shipyards survive were discussed, lasted for more than an hour.

The Uljanik Group said earlier that it needed around €100 million over the next four months to continue its shipbuilding business and pay overhead costs and wages. In case that amount is secured, the government-guaranteed collateral in the amount of €250 million would not have to be activated.

The government said it considered the group’s management to be the most responsible for the group’s current situation.

After meeting the striking workers on Monday, Economy Minister Darko Horvat said that intensive effort was being made to secure two wages for workers at the Uljanik Group and that he hoped that by the end of the week a solution would be found for at least one pay.

“Intensive work is being done to secure two wages for workers at the Uljanik Group and I hope that by the end of the week we will have a solution for at least one pay,” Horvat told reporters after the meeting.

He said that a consensus had been reached at the meeting for shipbuilding to continue in the cities of Pula and Rijeka, but based on a different model so that shipyards become profitable.

“Let’s not allow this situation to happen again,” Horvat said, and added that “this is the last chance for the shipyards to be put to their purpose and to become profitable companies”.

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