Unions call for widening of strikes over Kremikovtzi

Wednesday, 12 November 2008 11:54:31 (GMT+3)   |  
       

According to Bulgarian media sources, the National Strike Committee at the Independent Trade Unions Confederation in Bulgaria (KNSB) has issued an appeal to its affiliated units in companies related to Kremikovtzi, the country's largest steel manufacturer, to prepare for a huge strike.

The appeal asks companies, including Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ), the ports, the coal mining, metal manufacturing and automobile transport companies, to take action to support Kremikovtzi workers in their demands to receive their unpaid August and September salaries, as well as for the continuation of the plant's operations.

Recent strikes protesting against the lack of clarity over Kremikovtzi's future resulted in the blocking of streets in the Bulgarian capital Sofia.

As previously reported by SteelOrbis, Kremikovtzi was declared insolvent in September, and currently the Bulgarian government is making efforts to find a new investor for the plant. So far the suitors for the plant are Ukrainian company Smart Group, the Bulgarian millionaire and former owner of Kremikovtzi Valentin Zahariev, and the world's largest steelmaker ArcelorMittal.