Croatian entrepreneurs and transport company owners are appealing to the Slovenian government to resolve issues with Slovenian customs officials as soon as possible to address the congestion at the Croatian-Slovenian border crossings. Slovenian customs officials began a so-called silent strike yesterday, causing trucks with goods to wait in line for more than 12 hours, resulting in significant delays in the transportation process.
– Slovenian customs officials have been working slowly for a week, and yesterday the congestion reached its peak. Today is Friday when goods must be cleared through customs; otherwise, the work rhythm and significant money are lost. Not only Croatian transporters are losing, but all transporters, including Slovenians. – stated Marijan Banelli, president of the Association of Croatian Road Carriers, emphasizing that if Slovenians are striking for wages and working conditions in Slovenia, they have the support of Croatian transporters, but the Slovenian government should conclude negotiations with them as soon as possible so that the economy does not suffer further.
If a transporter’s work rhythm is disrupted, they lose one trip; if they have four trips a month, they lose one-quarter of their monthly earnings.
– Let the Slovenians fight for their rights, but let them not take from the mouths of Croatians. – pleads Banelli, referring to the Schengen Agreement and EU norms that advocate for the free flow of goods.
He added that Slovenia now represents the gateway to Europe and that if Slovenia cannot resolve the issue with customs officials, the European Union must do so.
