Economy Minister Ante Šušnjar commented on Friday on the decision by Nomad Foods to close the Irida fish processing plant in Daruvar and lay off 150 workers, assessing that the owner had not acted as they should have. "Announcing 150 redundancies overnight in a small town as if it were just business as usual is not correct," Šušnjar stated while answering journalists' questions on the margins of a ministerial meeting of the CESEC (Central and South Eastern Europe Energy Connectivity) initiative.
The minister added that such a move was not correct towards the Croatian government or the Croatian state, which had been constructive since the initial takeover of Leda by the current owners. Asked whether the plant closure could be prevented, Šušnjar replied that it was a private company. He emphasised, however, that the ministry's doors were open to entrepreneurs in difficulty. "If any entrepreneur has problems in their business, let them come, the doors are open," he said.
Šušnjar also said he hoped that entrepreneurs from the area would approach the workers. He stressed that the Croatian economy is strong and propulsive and that it needs labour. "There are certain legal mechanisms in such cases, so we will see what they, as their employers, will do – draw up a plan for the disposal of workers and how these people will find their further employment engagements," the minister said. He added: "We will react if necessary, in accordance with the mechanisms we have at our disposal and which the law very clearly prescribes".
Nomad Foods reported on Thursday that the decision to close Irida was made within the framework of a productivity increase and business optimisation programme, as well as the restructuring of the supply network. The company had attempted to find a buyer as an alternative to closing the plant, but announced that no sustainable long-term solution had been found for the facility. Nomad Foods announced on 22 October that Irida would be closed by the end of the year as part of a productivity increase programme announced in 2025.
At Irida, frozen fish and seafood products are finished and packaged for Nomad Foods brands, and the facility processes a smaller portion of the group's fish products. Of the 150 workers, 64 live in Daruvar, while the others come from the surrounding municipalities of Đulovac, Dežanovac, Sirač and Končanica.
