He said that the unionists had earlier in the day received an invitation from Economy Minister Branko Vukelic to come in Zagreb for talks on Friday. Other participants in the talks will be representatives of the local authorities in Sisak and the trustee in bankruptcy in the plant, Darko Sket.
Somic reiterated that they expected of the government to help the plant to begin operating on its own after Mechel's decided to withdraw from the ironworks and discontinue its activities.
Mechel said in a statement on Tuesday that it made a decision to discontinue its operations, adding that the company was conducting consultations with the Croatian government on exit mechanisms. Mechel Ironworks Sisak officials said the decision was made because market conditions regarding the company's production and raw materials used in the production had drastically changed.
"Given the above stated factors the company made a decision to discontinue operations," the statement said.
The contract with Russia's Mechel was signed on 6 February 2003. On 10 March that year, after it received bank guarantees, the Croatian government adopted necessary decisions under which the contract on the sale of the Sisak Ironworks to the Russian company Mechel became effective.
Government spokesman Ratko Macek said yesterday that in new circumstances the government would do all it could to preserve jobs in the Sisak plant and help continue the production. After the committee of creditors, which is a cosignatory to the contract with Mechel, gives its opinion on the case, the government will also seek best possible solutions for the ironworks, he said adding that the exit from this situation might be finding a new strategic partner or some other models.