2000 workers from the insolvent steel-maker Kremikovtzi arrived in downtown Sofia with about 70 buses Wednesday morning to continue their protests over the unclear future of the factory causing enormous traffic jams in the Bulgarian capital.

The bus rally culminated before the building of the Council of Ministers, where the workers are expecting the government's statement about the measures it would take for the rescue of Bulgaria's largest steel factory.

During their protest on Tuesday the workers' representatives declared Wednesday the deadline, when the government had to announce what it was going to do for the preservation of Kremikovtzi.

The workers are still expecting their delayed salaries for August and September. The funds for the salaries are supposed to be provided through a deal with the Bulgarian government, which is purchasing Kremikovtzi produce at market prices.

On Tuesday the leaders of the Kremikovtzi trade unions insisted before representatives of PM Stanishev's cabinet that the money for the workers' salaries be provided by the end of the week.

The ongoing crisis in the troubled steel giant has recently been intensified after the Ukrainian company Vorskla Steel terminated unilaterally in mid October its contract with the factory for production with materials supplied by the client.

Kremikovtzi was declared insolvent in September, and the Bulgarian government is presently seeking a new investor for the plant. Among the likely buyers are the Ukrainian company Smart Group, the Bulgarian millionaire and former owner of Kremikovtzi Valentin Zahariev, and the Indian company ArcelorMittal.

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