Workers of the Djuro Djakovic metal and mechanical engineering group, who have been on strike again since Wednesday over unpaid wages for October, on Thursday blocked traffic in downtown Slavonski Brod together education-sector workers, after holding a protest in front of county offices.

The protest outside the county government building was supported by teaching and non-teaching staff from primary and secondary schools in the area of Slavonski Brod. They were also joined by members of the Opposition in the county assembly, which was in session at the time.

County Prefect Danijel Marusic of the HDZ party told the protesting workers that Economy Minister Darko Horvat would visit the Djuro Djakovic Special Vehicles company on Monday instead of Wednesday, as previously scheduled.

Marusic said that according to available information, efforts were being made to salvage the company and jobs.

“We want to know when we will get our wages, how people will provide food for their children and buy them gifts for Christmas. You have destroyed my youth, forced my friends to emigrate to Germany… tell us what you intend to do,” said Zvonimir Rubil, one of the striking workers, whose speech received vocal support from his co-workers.

Pero Cosic, the head of the Slavonski Brod-Posavina County Assembly, said that the Djuro Dajkovic group’s debt totalled HRK 115 million, adding that the company’s management, which has resigned during a previous strike over the non-payment of September wages, was responsible for that.

The head of the striking committee, Ivan Baric, then called on the protesting workers to take a walk through the city centre, announcing a new protest for Friday.

After that, the striking metal workers and teachers blocked traffic in downtown Slavonski Brod for half an hour.

Problems in the Djuro Djakovic Group erupted in July due to a lack of funding to finance production. Zagrebacka Banka, which provided working capital for the company, has terminated its cooperation with Djuro Djakovic. During a strike in October, the state authorities promised to help the workers overcome the crisis. It was said at the time that Djuro Djakovic – Special Vehicles was about to complete a job that was expected to secure the payment of wages, and the company also sought help from the state in finding a bank willing to continue providing working capital for its operation.