The Metalworkers’ Union of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, under the motto “140 years of struggle for workers’ rights – let’s save the Zenica Steelworks” and on the occasion of May 1, Labor Day, held a support rally in front of the Zenica Steelworks today in that city, from which about 3,000 participants from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina, workers of this company and their families, said that this is just the beginning of the fight to preserve integral steel production in that city and country.
The gathering of participants in the rally, which is supported by all 37 branches of this union, as well as many other unions, began at nine o’clock at Kamberovića Polje, where more than 1,500 people gathered, but as many more people joined them during a walk through the city, so that about 3,000 people gathered in front of the Administrative Building.
The President of the NZZ Union Rašid Fetić, outraged by the management’s congratulations on Labor Day, told the new owners that they no longer have partners in the workers and that they should not care about what they will produce in this company when the FBiH Government takes it over.
”You have managed to take us back 30 years in just five months, while you have been here,” said Fetić.
The President of the Zenica-Doboj Canton Metalworkers’ Union Kenan Mujkanović, who also read the proclamation from this gathering, which will be sent to several addresses, said that today’s gathering in Zenica confirms that the union struggle has not subsided and that there will be constant support for the workers of this company.
”Their fight is our fight. We are with them until the end, regardless of the pressures – said Mujkanović, who also pointed out that everyone is deluding themselves that they can live off of “shopping malls”.
He underlined that last week, the Nova Željezara Zenica shut down its integral production by decision of the owner, but the FBiH Government has expressed its intention to take over this company through Energoinvest Sarajevo, in which the union is giving them full support.
“Don’t play with people’s destinies. This is not the end of the fight, this is just the beginning of this fight,” said Mujkanović, who added that the owners had the opportunity to show that they can run this company.
The FBiH Government currently has a slightly less than 8 percent share in the ownership, but the relevant Minister of Energy, Industry and Mining of the FBiH, Vedran Lakić, who was in Zenica yesterday and met with the management of this company, clearly emphasized that the FBiH Government intends to compensate the owners from the Pavgord group and take over ownership and care of the company, which is the backbone of the industry of the entire country.
In its proclamation, the Union, among other things, emphasized that it is necessary to implement the takeover plan by the FBiH Government as soon as possible, but also to take steps to improve the status of all workers and the collective agreement.
The union president Almir Salihagić also expressed his support for the workers of this company, saying that he was saddened by the occasion, but happy that so many people had come to support the workers of this Zenica-based company, on whose survival the fate of 50,000 people employed in related companies depends.
“The issue of the survival of this company is the issue of the survival of the industry,” said Salihagić, announcing new activities to successfully end this struggle and restart the Blast Furnace, Agglomeration and Steel Plant, which were shut down last week.
