At the Ministry of Justice, Administration and Digital Transformation, a meeting was held with representatives of the workers from Revija in Šibenik and Plobest from Ploče, who have been demanding the payment of arrears for 25 years. According to union representatives, the Minister promised that an effort would be made to find a solution by September. The president of Novi sindikat, Mario Iveković, informed reporters that the meeting with Minister Damir Habijan went well and that he showed goodwill in seeking a resolution for the workers of both companies. The agreement reached is for a new meeting to be held in September to determine if solutions can be implemented to pay workers the wages they have been seeking for a quarter of a century.
Iveković recalled that similar meetings had already taken place with ministers Branko Bačić and Marko Primorac, but no solution was found. He stated that all that has happened so far was the transfer of the problem from one ministry to another, but today, they are insisting on a clear dynamic. Novi sindikat demands that a special law be drafted for the cases of Revija, Plobest, and similar workers’ fates tied to privatization and bankruptcy. Iveković noted that while he still thinks a special law would be the best solution, if the ministry believes they can solve these two cases faster through other means, that would also be acceptable.
The senior legal adviser of Novi sindikat, Vedran Uranija, says that there is no solution within the existing laws, because if there were, the workers would have already sued the state. He appealed desperately on behalf of all 700 people for Prime Minister Plenković to pass a “lex specialis” at a government session to solve the claims of the workers of Revija and Plobest, which total about 1.29 million euros. Uranija sees a possible solution in the application of European directives on social responsibility for sustainable business, noting a European Parliament resolution that requires the adoption of specific legislation. The third possibility he mentioned is to adopt a decree on the payment for these former workers.
Uranija stated that they will wait for September to see if there will be any effects, but he maintains the opinion that the only final solution is to go to Prime Minister Plenković, as he is the ultimate decision-maker. After the meeting, Jadranka Bačinić Košinić, a former employee of Revija, said that she is not too optimistic but feels a new hope to finally receive her nine months of unpaid salaries after 25 years. Ivan Družijanić, an engineer from Plobest, shared the same hope, noting that thousands of people felt the direct consequences of unpaid back wages. The article was originally published on July 30 on the portal Novi list under the title ‘Trade union: Minister shows good will for claims of workers of Revija and Plobest’.
