“At the end of last week, we received information that the company did not pay two-thirds of social security and the entire health insurance for employees for March,” said Petr Slanina, chairman of OS KOVO in Liberty. He did not say how much it was. According to Novinek information, it should be several tens of millions of crowns.
Slanina added that, fortunately, the non-payment does not affect the employees in any way. “It is the employer’s business to send it to the state,” he added.
Liberty will no longer cooperate with Tameh. He wants to take energy from somewhere else
Economic
Liberty Ostrava does not deny that part of the payments were late. However, she did not say how much it was. “The reason is higher cash requirements as we gradually try to increase production and get employees back to work. We are in contact with the institutions involved in order to resolve the situation effectively,” explained Ivo Stěrba for the smelter. He added that during the implementation of the restructuring plan and the financial stabilization of the company, there may be a short-term delay in payments.
Will he shut down the coke plant for good?
At the same time as the information about the non-payment of social and health insurance payments, unionists at Liberty were disturbed by the news that the company plans to shut down the last two coke oven batteries for good. “However, we do not know anything more about it, we received preliminary information about it from Liberty. We should discuss it more closely this Friday,” said Slanina, who fears that if the smelter shuts down the coke plant, it would make iron production more expensive. It would thus become even more uncompetitive. And at the same time, it would probably also increase the cost of emission permits, because the smelter would have nowhere to put the blast furnace gas.
“Since the blast furnace will not be restarted until December, it is technically and financially demanding to maintain production in the coke batteries. That’s why we decided to start consultations and technological preparation for the possible shutdown of the two remaining coke oven batteries,” stated the opinion of the Štěrba smelter.
Liberty Ostrava has had problems with paying its obligations since last year. Since December, most of its operations have been closed and employees are at home without work. The smelter is now waiting to see if the court will approve its restructuring plan. Liberty Ostrava and its subsidiaries currently employ approximately 5,400 workers.
Liberty will no longer cooperate with Tameh. He wants to take energy from somewhere else
Economic
