The contract with DIV will be signed next Thursday

The government made a decision at today’s session regarding a special method of disposing of shares of Brodosplit, thereby completing the privatization process of this shipyard, and the contract with the buyer, the Samobor-based DIV, is expected to be signed next Thursday, February 28, at Banski dvori.

The decision to accept DIV’s binding offer puts a ‘dot over the i’ on the privatization and restructuring process of the Split shipyard, which began in 2009, stated Minister of Economy Ivan Vrdoljak.

The purchase agreement was also confirmed yesterday by the European Commission, and its signing is planned after the next government session on February 28.

This is a historic decision that gives Croatian shipbuilding a chance to continue functioning on solid foundations in the coming years, assessed Vrdoljak.

Prime Minister Zoran Milanović stated that this is the ‘end of the beginning’ in the fight for a more competitive survival and progress of Croatian shipbuilding, adding that this is just another case inherited by the current government, which was not even halfway completed and had a rather uncertain fate.

The government today supported the proposal for amendments to the Law on the Protection of Workers’ Claims in the Event of Employer Bankruptcy, which better ensures the scope of protection of workers’ material rights in the event of termination of employment before the opening of bankruptcy.

It also equalizes the position of workers with domestic employers and workers with foreign employers, while members of the management boards of companies, members of supervisory boards, and executive directors are exempt from the application of the law.

An exceptional possibility of direct payment to the workers’ account is also ensured in cases where the bankrupt debtor has been removed from the register of legal entities.

The government has also extended the validity of the Decision on Determining Salaries and Other Compensation for Presidents and Members of Management Boards of Companies, which allows leaders of public enterprises to receive high bonuses in the event of successful business operations.

Milanović expects that the supervisory boards of public companies will be strict in evaluating the work of presidents and members of management boards, taking into account the market position of the company, as it is not the same to operate as a monopolist or under conditions of fierce market competition.

I expect very strict criteria, and in this economic situation, the question is who deserves a bonus, said Milanović.