The ArcelorMittal steel plant in Hunedoara will resume its activity starting from November 1, and the approximately 470 employees have been called back to work, announced the president of the „Siderurgistul” Union, Mircea Bordean.
The resumption of activity will be possible through the supply of steel from Ukraine, from the Krivoi Rog plant, which belongs to the same ArcelorMittal group.
"The plant will restart after November 1, and the raw material comes from Ukraine. There, they will produce steel blooms for Hunedoara, which will produce long products," explained Bordean to Agerpres.
Partial activity and campaign production
The union leader specified that until November 1, employees are on temporary unemployment and will receive 75% of their salary. Additionally, the voluntary departure scheme, to which about ten employees had applied, has been suspended.
"The steelworkers will perform maintenance and security tasks, and some will work in the rolling mill. Depending on demand and market conditions - energy prices, taxes - there might be campaigns of one to two weeks," added Mircea Bordean.
The closure decision followed by protests
The ArcelorMittal management announced on September 12 the definitive cessation of production in Hunedoara, citing high electricity costs and competition from products outside the European Union. This decision was followed, on September 23, by a spontaneous protest by employees in front of Electric Steelworks 2.
Following the tensions, local authorities and parliamentarians from Hunedoara requested the Government to declassify the privatization contract between ArcelorMittal and the former company Siderurgica SA Hunedoara, a document that could clarify the investor's obligations regarding the maintenance of the plant's activity.