Receiver Stevo Radovanović said that there was work for the 456 employees until the end January. He told the Saturday edition of the daily Delo that Hugo Boss did not extend its orders for another season and that cooperation ended on 15 September.

Hugo Boss tied its future orders to the work of Mura's subsidiary Prvi maj located in Serbia. However, the company, for which Mura got a considerable incentive from the Serbian government, is in deep trouble.

The production there is at a standstill because there is now money for salaries and supplies and its 1,300 employees are on strike.

What is more, workers intend to start a hunger strike on Monday, according to Delo. The daily Večer on the other hand says that a general strike is to start there on Monday.

Hugo Boss insists on a production line restructuring and modernisation in Prvi maj, according to Večer. If the demand were met, a maximum of 850 would work in the plant located in the town of Pirot, the paper also says.

The news of Hugo Boss withdrawing comes only days before the Aha Mura healthy core will go on auction on Tuesday at a starting price of EUR 4.6m. According to Večer, GMT, a Murska Sobota-based company, is interested in buying.

If the auction is unsuccessful, Radovanović will have to call a new auction soon, as the court gave him a year to sell the company in May. If he fails, the company will be shut down.