Bankruptcy looms for Stocznia Gdynia

The economic situation of the Gdynia Shipyard in Poland has taken a turn for the worse and, if there?s no financial support from the state, the shipyard may go bankrupt soon according to the Solidarity Trade Union.

The Gdynia Shipyard plays a key role in the Polish shipbuilding industry since it employs some 7,000 workers and has many clients both in Poland and abroad. Unfortunately, some contracts were signed several years ago and the shipyard has had to pay extra charges in connection with the production of each vessel resulting in losses amounting to some $25 million in 2005 and double that a year later.

What?s even worse, the Gdynia Shipyard is committed to build seven large car carrriers for the Israeli shipowner Rami Ungar and there is no cash available to start work on these vessels. There is no time to lose and “A lot depends on privatization which is the only choice” argues Dariusz Adamski from the Solidarity Trade Union in the shipyard.

Talks on the privatization have been held in the Ministry of the Exchequer in Warsaw since July last year. A company AMBER, belonging to a scrap metal tycoon, was the only one authorized to continue privatization talks. Despite several meetings to discuss the matter of privatization, there are no positive results so far.

The shipyard workers have lost their patience which is why representatives of the Solidarity trade union arrived in Warsaw with a coffin to symbolize the tragic situation of the Polish shipbuilding industry. “We brought a petition to prime minister Donald Tusk and we expect him to rescue the Gdynia Shipyard from bankruptcy” explains Dariusz Adamski.

The shipyard workers? delegation gave a letter to a Secretary of State at the PM?s office, Rafal Grupinski who promised to forward in to the PM. Grupinski promised the representatives that Tusk would soon discuss the privatisation of the shipyards with the Minister of State Treasury Aleksander Grad.

Unofficial sources say that an equivalent of $250 million is needed from the state budget to avoid the bankruptcy.