Economy Minister Darko Horvat said on Thursday that wages for Uljanik workers would be paid on Friday, as he had promised earlier this week.

Asked by reporters in front of the government building what would happen with the shipyards next, Horvat said that that remains to be seen.

“There is a restructuring plan that is now in Brussels. It remains to be seen whether Brussels will agree to it, and whether we will have to make corrections to it,” he said, adding that two monthly wages for July and August were possibly guaranteed, but that he would be able to speak in greater detail about it later on Thursday.

According to media speculations, the restructuring plan involves Uljanik laying off some 600 people out of the total work force of 2,600, and the company investing into redeveloping part of its seaside location in Pula bay and turning it into a marina.  

On Wednesday, local government officials met MEPs in Brussels to seek support for the plan, although the European Commission said that the plan is still being analysed to see if it can be allowed under EU rules on state aid.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, too, said at the start of the government session that a model had been found to pay Uljanik workers their wages, but did not disclose any details on it.

Meanwhile, disgruntled workers of the Rijeka-based 3. Maj dock, which is part of the Uljanik Group, on Thursday morning also continued their industrial action which they started on August 22, and said that they would stage a protest rally in Rijeka on Monday if they do not receive their overdue salaries by Friday.

Uljanik has in the meantime reported that its account was blocked on Thursday morning, only for a source in the company management to say that it had been unblocked in the afternoon.

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