Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor on Friday received the protesting workers of the Split-based steel mill who arrived in Zagreb a day before insisting on the talks with the premier on problems plaguing this company since Poland's Zlomrex concern became its owner.
After the meeting with Kosor, the workers' representatives expressed satisfaction with the talks which they said removed a possibility for Zeljezara Split going into bankruptcy.
We are glad to see that the premier seriously approached our problem and reassured us that ministers would work on meeting our main demand for further production, workers' representative Mladen Bekavac said, adding that Kosor would visit the steel mill soon.
The meeting confirmed the results of Thursday's talks between the protesters and Economy and Transport Ministers Djuro Popijac and Bozidar Kalmeta about the Zagreb-based CIOS company likely to take the Split factory on lease and put it in operation again.
The CIOS director Petar Pripuz today confirmed that he would visit Zeljezara on Tuesday to assess the situation, Bekavac said.
Economy Minister Popijac said that Zlomrex needed to respond to the proposal from the Croatian Privatisation Fund to give back its stake in the steel mill for one kuna.
"If Zlomrex turns down the offer, we will launch procedure for the payment of corporate guarantees," he said.
Some 150 disgruntled workers who arrived in Zagreb on Thursday were to return to their homes today.
