The new DCU unit at the Rijeka refinery is expected to come online by the end of August, but Jasna Pipunić of the SING union warns that worker infrastructure is seriously lagging, no locker rooms, offices, or cooling areas.
As the countdown begins at the Rijeka refinery for the start-up of the strategic delayed coker unit (DCU), worth around 700 million euros, Jasna Pipunić, president of the Union of Economy (SING), is raising the alarm over serious shortcomings in working conditions. "Workers are on scorching concrete, amid hot steel, with no room to cool off," Pipunić told Novi list, describing the daily reality at the construction site during heatwaves.
The DCU (Delayed Coker Unit) project was officially launched in 2019, when the final investment decision was made for the Rijeka Refinery. At the time, the total value of the undertaking was estimated at around four billion kuna, and the contract with Italian contractor KT-Kinetics Technology was signed for more than 3.3 billion kuna, or nearly half a billion euros. The original start-up was planned for 2023, but global supply chain disruptions and rising material costs have pushed back the deadlines.
According to announcements from INA, the unit should finally become operational by the end of August 2026. "I expect the new unit to start operating by the end of August, although it should be noted that the construction and start-up of the new DCU unit are demanding processes," said Pipunić.
The SING union, the largest representative union at INA, insisted on thorough preparation of workers for technology that did not previously exist at the Rijeka refinery. Management accepted this proposal, so employees, in addition to theoretical training, were sent for hands-on training at other MOL refineries in Europe, as well as to a U.S. refinery that uses the same process.
"Therefore, as far as the readiness of workers and technology is concerned, we can say that things are on track," Pipunić emphasized. However, she quickly added: "What worries me is that the working conditions that should accompany such an investment are not progressing at the planned pace."
The SING president cites specific problems: with the arrival of new workers, locker rooms are still not completed, and there is a lack of adequate space for operator accommodation, office space, and storage. Particularly acute is the lack of a cooling room during increasingly frequent and longer heatwaves.
"Imagine people working on platforms in these temperatures, it's 40 degrees outside, imagine when the iron and concrete heat up and being right in the middle of it," Pipunić warned. While she understands the challenge of the cascading terrain in Rijeka that complicates design, she said: "We must find a solution, and we will insist on it."
With the DCU coming on stream, conditions are also met for paying a bonus to all workers who participated in the project. SING submitted this initiative last year. "I believe that effort and results should be rewarded," said Pipunić.
She also highlighted the strategic importance of the investment at the national level: "This is about new production capacities, new jobs, and that is something we welcome both as a union at INA and as part of the Independent Croatian Trade Union. It makes Croatia more resilient, less dependent on imports, and our refinery more competitive." She added that the planned green hydrogen unit fits into this positive direction.
In the broader context of workers' rights, Pipunić also warned about the problem of low daily allowances for field work. "Workers who work in the field, which is often the case for us, cannot 'survive' on 30 euros a day," she said. The union has repeatedly appealed to the government to set higher amounts for daily allowances and field supplements through the Income Tax Ordinance, which would allow negotiations for higher amounts through collective agreements. Additionally, they advocate for an increase in the personal deduction.
She also commented on the union scene, noting that SING has been active for more than 35 years and invests in the education of its members and shop stewards. "We are not radical, we may not always be loud enough, but we are constantly in the field, solving the everyday problems our workers face," Pipunić concluded.
