Split, 24 August – Three shop stewards and a worker from the Split ironworks (Željezara Split) started a hunger strike on Monday, 24 August, stating that they will not stop until their demands are fully met.

"We have been pushed into this strike because of non compliance with our conclusions, signed by the representatives of the Government and the Croatian Privatisation Fund as early as on 20 May (…) This is not a strike with political connotations, this is wretched poverty (…)”, a shop steward from the Metalworkers’ Trade Union of Croatia (SMH), affiliated to UATUC, Mladen Bekavac, told a news conference in the Adriatic city of Split, speaking about the hardship of 460 workers who have not received salaries for several months.

The trade unionist blamed the Croatian government, the Privatisation Fund and the economy ministry as well as the ironworks' owner, the Polish company Zlomrex, for the factory's agony. Unionists insist on the payment of salaries in arrears, talks with a Russian company interested in taking over the Split Ironworks, on the immediate restarting of production in the plant, on determining the responsibility for such a dire situation in the ironworks as well as on the lowering of high wages of managers which are determined contrary to the provisions of the collective agreement.

In late February, Željezara stopped production because its local gas supplier ceased delivering gas and blocked the factory's bank account due to its debt. The production started anew after some time only to be suspended again in mid-April after all production reserves were exhausted and all workers were sent on leave. In the meantime, the ironworks' accounts were blocked as its debt exceeded HRK 46 million.

Also this spring, the plant's workers asked the government on several occasions to intervene and cancel the sales contract with Zlomrex as it failed to pay workers' salaries and meet other financial obligations. During 2008, because of majority owner Zlomrex's poor business, the ironworks suffered losses to the amount of HRK 100 million, Bekavac said during one of the industrial actions in the spring, while in 2007 it earned a profit of HRK 170 million.

Despite the workers’ wishes, shop stewards who went on hunger strike did not want to include in it other workers, saying that they are already living on the verge of poverty, and that it is their duty and obligation as trade unionists to do so and to fight for their rights. If their demands are not met in the next ten days, workers will joint them in hunger strike.

Polih Zlomrex stopped every communication with workers, CEO has been in Poland for the past several months, production has been stopped, and telephones disconnected, etc. hence the justified demands of the trade unionists to terminate the contract with this company and to start finding a new buyer who is ready to continue with production.

“You are asking about our health condition? Well of course it is not good, and what it will be like at the end of the strike is to be seen. We will take only water, and if something happens to us, the Government will have four people less to worry about in the Split Ironworks. Until they sweep us off from here we will not stop with the strike, not if our demands are not met”, added a shop steward Tonči Mužić.