Workers at the Uljanik dock continued their strike on Thursday, for the fourth day running, while members of the strike committee held a meeting with the Belgian Jan de Nul company for which a dredger is being built at the dock.

After Wednesday’s meeting with the owner of the Australian luxury cruise company, Scenic Group, for which a polar cruise ship is currently being built at Uljanik, the strike committee on Thursday met with representatives of Jan de Nul, for which Uljanik is building the strongest dredger in the world.

“Representatives from that company also expressed interest in being involved in seeking a solution for Uljanik’s sustainable future, but they aren’t interested in taking part in the dock’s ownership structure,” strike committee chair and unionist Boris Cerovac told the state news agency Hina.

Meanwhile, the strike in the 3. Maj and Uljanik shipyards continued for the fourth day running, as the workers had not received their September wages, due to be paid by October 15.

The strike committee members said they will hold two meetings with workers on Friday, where they will decide on their next steps.

Finance Minister Zdravko Maric said on Wednesday that some 7.5 billion kuna (€1 billion) in guarantees were issued for Uljanik in the period from 2010 to 2018, of which 4.29 billion kuna (€577.3 million) were activated.

The construction of large ships in the shipyards has not begun yet, but the money intended for the purpose had already been spent, he said.

The figures show that the funds of some 10.7 billion kuna (€1.43 billion), for which state guarantees of some 855.9 million kuna (€115.1 million) were issued, were not spent on construction of those ships, he said.

Cerovac on Thursday said he did not believe the money was inappropriately spent.

(€1 = 7.42 kuna)

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