Over 2000 workers of Bulgaria's largest steel-maker Kremikovtzi blocked part of the downtown of the capital Sofia on Monday continuing their protests over the future of the troubled plant.

The main focus of the workers' protests this time is the fact that they had not received their August and September salaries by Friday, November 7, as the Ministry of Economy had promised them.

Bulgaria's Economy Minister Petar Dimitrov, who had made a pledge that his Ministry was going to assist the plant with the payment of the delayed salaries, explained this promise could not be delivered upon because of the ruling of the Sofia Appellate Court that the Ministry's syndic in Kremikovtzi had not been appointed in accordance with the legitimate procedure.

The factory leader of the Podkrepa Labor Confederation Lyudmil Pavlov said in an interview for the Darik Radio that this was just one more scenario designed to allow the government to get out of its commitments to the workers and the plant.

"The removal of the syndic Ana Milenkova cannot be used as an excuse by Minister Dimitrov not to deliver on his promise that the workers would receive their salaries. 25 000 tons of produce has been prepared for sale so that the money for the salaries could be raised", Pavlov declared.

The ruling of the Sofia Appellate Court from Wednesday, November 5 that the syndic Ana Milenkova had been appointed in an illegitimate way left Kremikovtzi's biggest creditor, the Bulgarian state, without a representative in the management of the plant.

Thus, the affairs of the steel mill, which was declared insolvent in September, are now managed by the other syndic Tzvetan Bankov, who was elected on September 26, 2008, by the general meeting of the shareholders of the plant owner Finmetals Group.

Monday's protest rally of the workers is starting at the Aleksandar Nevsky Cathedral, and is then proceeding to the building of the Ministry.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!