In a call addressed to PM Alenka Bratušek and Economic Development and Technology Minister Stanko Stepišnik, Štihec stressed that the state has a contract with AHA Group, the owner of AHA Mura, which was binding on both partners.

According to the mayor, the government has shown in the case of the Koper-based car parts maker Cimos that it cares about regionally important companies, so he hopes that it will be equally responsible in the case of the company employing over 1,500 people in Murska Sobota.

Most of the workers at AHA Mura are holding a two-hour token strike today over unpaid March wages. If at least part of the wages are not paid to all the workers by the end of the week, as promised by the management, they are to hold an all-day strike on 6 May.

The management has promised to provide the remainder of the pay for March next week, since it is waiting for approval of a new set of loans, on which banks are to decide this week.

AHA Group was accepted with high hopes and much optimism in 2011 as the new owner of Mura's only surviving subsidiary Mura in partnerji, which was merged with AHA Moda into AHA Mura in October 2012.

However, the company is facing a difficult year in the fashion industry, but is hopeful about securing new buyers.