The “Kremikovtzi’ workers gathered on yet another protest rally in downtown Sofia Monday voicing their demands for receiving their overdue salaries, for answers from Economy Minister, Petar Dimitrov. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency
The leadership of the Trade Unions at the dying "Kremikovtzi" steel mill proposed Monday urgent measures to deal with the heavy "economy and financial blow" from its closing.
A letter prepared by the Unions reminds that "Bulgargaz" is going to cut gas supply to the mill on Tuesday, May 12 and that 400 workers have already been discharged while the Employment Agency has received notice of another 1 500 metallurgists loosing their jobs in June.
In the mean time the "Kremikovtzi' workers gathered on yet another protest rally in downtown Sofia Monday, voicing their demands for receiving all overdue salaries, for answers from Economy Minister, Petar Dimitrov, about the salvage of the mill and its future.
The mill's management says negotiations with the Brazilian metallurgy giant CSN were ongoing, but if Monday ends again without concrete results, gas supply would be cut, leading to the termination of the coke production.
The Unions propose to continue supplying the plant with natural gas until the issue with the recovery plan is fully clarified and insist on a moratorium of the dismissal of workers until the recovery plan is approved.
According to Bulgaria's Trade Act, such approval takes between 40 and 50 days.
"It does not make any sense to dismiss workers if later they would need to be rehired," the letter reads.
The Unions further demand payment of all overdue salaries to all workers and employees of the steel mill