This morning, the workers of Nova Zelezara Zenica took buses to Sarajevo, where they will protest in front of the Council of Ministers building of Bosnia and Herzegovina ahead of the session where it will be decided on the introduction of measures to protect domestic steel production.
The protests were announced as a peaceful gathering of several hundred workers who want to point out the seriousness of the situation in the domestic steel industry, but also the fact that the decision of the Council of Ministers can have far-reaching consequences for the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The management of Nova železara Zenica previously appealed to state institutions to introduce temporary protective measures on the import of steel and steel products, stressing that such a decision would enable the survival of domestic industry and the preservation of jobs. According to the company, without these measures, the continuation of production is seriously threatened, and suspensions of work are also possible in the coming period.
The director and co-owner of Nova železara Zenica, Ahmed Hamzić, previously emphasized that they are not looking for subsidies, but rather protective measures, such as exist in many European countries, so that domestic production can survive on the market.
He pointed out that the introduction of these measures would protect about 11,000 jobs and a large number of companies connected to this industry, including the railways of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, the Port of Ploče, as well as hundreds of other companies that are part of the industrial chain.
Let us remind you that the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina previously agreed to the decision on measures to protect domestic steel production through the introduction of import duties, and the final decision should be made by the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was because of this decision that the workers decided to organize a protest and put pressure on the state institutions to support the domestic industry.
The workers say that this is a strategic industry for Bosnia and Herzegovina and that the possible failure to vote on protective measures could lead to serious economic consequences and the loss of a large number of jobs in the industry and related sectors, writes Klix.
