The leader of the Adriatic Trade Union, Boris Cerovac, has sent letters to Pope Francis and Zagreb Archbishop Josip Bozanic in which he asks them to pray for the employees of the ailing Pula-based Uljanik Group and for the payment of workers' overdue salaries, notably during the Holy Week.
In the letters, Cerovac accuses politicians of depriving the employees of the Christmas and Easter holidays and showing a lack of interest in seeking a solution to the situation in the shipbuilding group.
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He says that hungry workers and their families as well as the fact that they are losing their property and homes are no longer making news headlines.
The unionist urges the religious dignitaries to finally state their opinion on the trials and tribulations of the Croatian shipbuilding industry, its employees and their families.
“You should finally say what you support, and if you support the workers, you will send such a message to politicians in the coming days,” Cerovac said, asking the dignitaries to pray for a solution for the shipbuilding industry.
Bankruptcy hearing for 3. Maj dock shifted to 5 June
Rijeka Commercial Court on Wednesday once again adjourned a hearing that should have determined whether conditions have been fulfilled to launch bankruptcy proceedings at the 3. Maj dock – owned by the Uljanik Group – and the next hearing is scheduled for 5 June.
The latest adjournment was requested to make it possible for the new management to find funds for interim financing as in the recent days much has been done regarding efforts to conclude new contracts and find new business opportunities.
The postponement was okayed today by unionists, the dock’s director, Edi Kucan, temporary bankruptcy trustee Zdravko Cupkovic and a representative of the Strojopromet company, which is one of the creditors that together with the Fina financial agency has proposed the launching of bankruptcy proceedings.
The total debt of this shipyard, based in Rijeka, was HRK 134.6 million on 16 April.
The company’s account has been blocked for more than 220 days.
Participant’s in today’s hearing told the court that 3. Maj, which became a part of the Uljanik Group a few years ago, would not be in financial distress if Uljanik had paid it back the 520 million kuna it borrowed from the Rijeka dock.
The first bankruptcy hearing was originally scheduled for February 6 but was shifted to February 26, then to March 12 and again for March 28 with the explanation that one should wait for a possible agreement on the payment of wages and the continuation of production.
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