Economy Minister Darko Horvat said on Tuesday, after meeting with the new management of the Pula-based Uljanik shipbuilding group, that a new model of a restructuring plan for that shipbuilder had been defined and that the final version of the plan would be known next week.

The final version of the restructuring plan is expected to be handed in to the Economy Ministry on Tuesday or Wednesday, Horvat said, adding that the document would be analysed together with Finance Ministry officials.

If the plan is approved, it will be sent to the European Commission next week for approval.

The changes discussed at the meeting with the management also include the Rijeka-based 3. Maj shipyard, also a part of the Uljanik Group, Horvat said, and added that the discussions focused on moth docks, Uljanik and 3. Maj, as part of the same process.

Horvat said that at the moment he did not know how much money would have to be secured to ensure the shipbuilder’s liquidity and completion of vessels that were able to be completed relatively soon.

Horvat said that the latest plan and model of restructuring was much more serious than the previous ones, and that currently investor interest was much greater in 3. Maj than in Uljanik, with serious talks under way with three potential investors interested in both docks.

3. Maj workers staged a rally in Rijeka on Monday, asking for the company to be saved from bankruptcy. The Uljanik Group workers have been on strike for the past two weeks over unpaid salaries for September.

Uljanik Management Board chair Emil Bulic said that they were working to ensure the payment of wages next week.

He said that the Uljanik Group’s workers were aware of the problems and thanked them for their patience and trust.

“Workers are indeed leaving, but they are committed to the docks in Rijeka and Pula and to returning to work as soon as conditions for that are created,” he said.

The workers’ representative on the Uljanik Group’s Supervisory Board, Samir Hodzic, said that wages could be paid in the first half of next week if nothing unexpected happened that would prevent that.

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