Strike threat compounds Bosnian aluminium producer’s woes

Balkan Insight reported that the future of the cash-strapped aluminium plant in Mostar looks ever more uncertain, as unions warn of a strike if the Federation entity government does not step in again to sort out its finances. Some 900 workers at Aluminij Mostar have announced a strike in Sarajevo in front of the parliament of the country’s Federation entity if no solution for the company’s debts is found soon. Mr Romeo Bioksic, president of the Union of Workers of Aluminij Mostar, told BIRN that „This worst-case scenario will affect not only workers but their families, so we are talking about thousands of people whose fate depends on Aluminij.” Bioksic said all eyes are on the Federation government, which under an agreement signed during the privatisation of the company in 2005, is in charge of paying its electric bills.  Over the weekend, the company announced that it could be shut off from the electric power grid because of an unpaid 1.5 million euros debt – but that has since been postponed to Monday midnight. The company said it had ensured an electric supplier for one more week, but described that as only a short-term solution. Mostar Aluminij said that “The Federation government will have to make final, vital decisions on Friday or the collapse of Aluminij is just being postponed.”