Novinite reported that trade unionists have repeated their calls on the government to adopt a recovery plan for Bulgaria's indebted steel behemoth Kremikovtzi to prevent its imminent shutdown.

Mr Zhelyazko Hristov, leader of KNSB trade union, said at a round table on Wednesday that “Shutting down the ailing state run plant before winding up its businesses and offloading its assets will make more difficult the outstanding payments to the laid off workers and their social securities.”

The forum was also attended by Economy and Energy Minister Mr Traycho Traykov.

In their Monday protest 200 workers from the plant gathered in front of the Economy and Energy ministry, calling on the state owned gas provider Bulgargaz and the state power utility NEK, two of the major creditors in the plant, to become majority owners. They also demanded that the state approve the recovery plan and bring to justice those, who have allegedly siphoned the company.

Workers have yet to receive BGN 56 million in unpaid salaries. Some 3,000 employees have been dismissed or have left the company, with some 3,170 staff still on the books.

(Sourced from Novinite)