Employees of the troubled Lead and Zinc Complex (LZC; OTZK) in Bulgaria's Kardzhali are considering civil disobedience due to the uncertain future of the plant.

One week ago, OTZK staff called on Prime Minister Boyko Borisov to come up with a plan for solving the company's problems by June 20, threatening to stage roadblocks at main road arteries in Kardzhali if their demands remained unheard.

The Lead and Zinc Comple, the largest Bulgarian producer of non-ferrous metals, stopped functioning at the end of 2011 and its owner, Valentin Zahariev, owes four months' salaries to the 519 workers, according to reports of the Bulgarian National Television (BNT).

The decision about whether to launch civil disobedience is to be taken at a general meeting of OTZK metallurgists later on Wednesday.

The workers at the plant say that their patience has been exhausted.

Prime Minister Borisov claimed that OTZK's case would be resolved by end-April but the deadline was repeatedly postponed.

Trade union representatives at OTZK say that the plant's creditor banks are taking steps to freeze company property, causing the workers to fear that they will not be able to get their salaries.

Trade unionists claim that the time is ripe for new protests.

One week ago, Polish consortium Silesia was said to be the only investor still interested in renting the plant, the two other candidates reported as having withdrawn.

The news was confirmed by Delyan Dobrev, Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism.