Along with Matić, Irena Vincek and Andraž Novak were dismissed as board members and replaced by Metod Podkrižnik, the boss of logistics company Fersped, and Irma Gubanec, former CEO of newspaper publisher Delo.

Speaking after the session, the new chairman of the supervisory board as of today, the lawyer Uroš Ilić said the for cause dismissal had been prompted by the no-confidence vote given to the Matić management at Thursday's shareholders' meeting as well as by the management's grave misconduct and incapacity to manage business.

Ilić would not give much detail, but he did say that the supervisory board voted unanimously to dismiss the Matić management with abstentions by the two supervisors representing the employees.

While the supervisory board session was in progress, a group of employees gathered on the roof of a car park at the port in protest in support of the outgoing management.

The supervisory board called a vote of no confidence after an audit found problems in the hiring of dock workers through outsourcing companies. These workers are paid less and work under worse terms than those employed directly by Luka Koper.

The outsourcing model has been in use at the port for 20 years, but the audit established that the Luka Koper management had no strategic grip on the outsourcing and that the model entailed labour legislation violation and corruption risks.

The management has repeatedly rejected the criticism over outsourcing with Matić citing plans to employ 500 more staff over the next five years. Under the current management Luka Koper posted record transshipment and profit.