Shipyards

Brodosplit workers hold protest at shipyard's entrance

23.11.2010 u 16:14

Bionic
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Brodosplit shipbuilding company workers on Tuesday held a protest rally at the entrance to the Split shipyard, demanding an immediate solution to this yard or they would take our more radical steps.

Metal Workers' Trade Union steward in the Brodosplit Josko Franic called on Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor to visit the shipyard and promise that the company would be allowed to sign new contracts on building ships.

Franic announced a larger-scale protest rally in downtown Split in early December if workers' requests were not met.

He also announced a meeting with Economy Minister Djuro Popijac in Zagreb next Thursday.

Another union leader Zvonko Segvic said that a D-day for the Croatian shipbuilding industry would be on 29 and 30 November when Croatia's delegation is expected to discuss the restructuring of Croatian shipyards with European Union officials.

Segvic demanded that PM Kosor should lift a ban on building new ships.

He criticised parliamentarian Vesna Pusic of the opposition Croatian People's Party over her statements that any new state aid to shipyards would only do harm to Croatia.

State subsidies to the shipyards is at issue in Croatia's European Union membership talks.

Protesters carried banners with slogans "We defended the country, and now we are defending the shipyard", "Let My Grandchildren Work in The Yard",