ZENICA, Bosnia, May 1 (Reuters) – Hundreds of workers marched through Bosnia’s central city of Zenica on Friday, protesting against the closure of the country’s last steel mill which they said marked the end of an era of heavy industry.
Last week’s shutdown of the 130-year-old Zenica Steel Factory put thousands of jobs at risk across the sector, protesters said, and followed on the heels of the closure of Lukavac coke factory in February.
“Zenica does not exist without the Zenica steel factory,” marcher Avdija Halilović told Reuters as demonstrators blew whistles, carried union flags and shouted slogans demanding the reopening of the plant.
Bosnia’s Pavgord Group, which bought the plant from ArcelorMittal last year, blamed the closure last month on logistical problems, cheaper imported steel and what it said was the government’s failure to bring in measures to protect the industry.
It was not immediately available for more comment on Friday, the May Day public holiday.
Bosnia’s Bosniak-Croat federation prime minister, Nermin Niksic, said on Thursday the regional government was interested in taking over ownership of the plant and helping it continue production, the N1 news website reported.
Further pressure came this week when the Nova Ljubija iron ore mines, another key supplier to the steel mill, filed for bankruptcy, affecting nearly 600 workers.
(Reporting by Amel Emric; Writing by Ivana Sekularac; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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