Management issued a statement in response to the ministry's appeal that, in order to establish social dialogue, it should re-examine a decision to lay off workers and, in cooperation with the unions, establish dialogue so that the situation in the shipyard could be normalised.
Management said it was "disappointed by such a populist statement" from the ministry and that if anyone, with their statements, was "destabilising the situation in Brodosplit and preventing the establishment of social peace based on legal prerequisites and good will, it is the Labour Ministry."
Management said that "a legally organised strike and peaceful protest is one thing, while forcibly entering a building and throwing people out of their work premises is another."
"We absolutely respect the right of workers and unions to stand for their rights and interests in a lawful manner, but we can't tolerate the violent behaviour during the events in October this year. Tolerating it would endanger the Brodosplit workers who work conscientiously and well, and we can't and won't allow that," the statement said.
Management announced on Thursday and Friday that 13 of the suspended workers who took part in a protest in October would be laid off, and that the status of three suspended union representatives would be decided after receiving additional reports on their roles in the protest.
The leader of the Croatian Association of Trade Unions, Ozren Matijasevic, said then that the laid-off workers would seek legal protection.
The Labour Ministry today urged Brodosplit's management and the unions active in the shipyard to establish "constructive dialogue", and appealed to the management to reconsider its decision to dismiss 13 workers who had taken part in the October protests.