Union Requests Access to Shipyard Sale Contracts

Leaders of the Metalworkers’ Union of Croatia – Industrial Union (SMH-IS) at today’s panel discussion held in Split titled ‘Why Shipbuilding is Necessary for Croatia’ requested from the Government and future owners of Croatian shipyards to provide access to the restructuring programs of the shipyards and the purchase agreements.

-I urge the Government and future owners to provide us with the restructuring programs of the shipyards and the share acquisition agreements, that is, the purchase agreements, so that we as a union can monitor the process- emphasized the president of SMH-IS, Vedran Dragičević.

He stressed that this union is not familiar with the content of these agreements and therefore does not know whether a potential technological surplus in the shipyards is acceptable to the unions. Given the small number of orders for shipbuilding, the situation in Croatian shipbuilding is catastrophic, and cooperation among professionals, workers, future owners, and the Government is necessary for their salvation, Dragičević pointed out.

The SMH-IS commissioner for Dalmatia, Joško Franić, stated that a purchase agreement is planned to be signed in Split on February 28, under which the company DIV from Samobor would become the majority owner of Brodosplit.

-All Brodosplit workers must know that after that day, nothing will be as it was before. A private owner, whose interest is profit, is entering the Split shipyard, and our interest is to keep the shipyard- Franić emphasized.

He warned that the potential closure of Brodosplit would be disastrous not only for the Split area but for Croatia as a whole.

He pointed out that SMH-IS insists that before signing the purchase agreement, the union and the future owner of the Split shipyard sign a social agreement to protect the interests of Brodosplit employees.

The Deputy Prefect of Split-Dalmatia, Vicko Haladić, stated that the county draft amendments to the spatial plan long-term prevents the repurposing of the area or land on which Brodosplit is located, and that, as he said, ‘the construction of ships as the main production is absolutely retained’.

In Brodotrogir, there will be a combination of shipbuilding and tourism as the Trogir city administration sought to repurpose part of the area where the shipyard is located. In Brodotrogir, ship production will largely be retained, but in one part, the capacity of the small marina with 100 berths will be increased to 400 berths, and space for about 400 berths for megayachts will also be provided, Haladić said.

A member of the Brodosplit Management Board, Antun Čagalj, advocated for the interest connection between Brodosplit and Brodotrogir. 

-These two shipyards are 25 kilometers apart, and it is logical for their interest connection, but this is not a merger- he said.

The panel discussion on shipbuilding was organized by SMH-IS in cooperation with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, and the leaders of the Metalworkers’ Union criticized the Government and the Ministry of Economy for the absence of their representatives at today’s gathering despite timely invitations.