Blast furnace in Smederevo steelworks to be fired up in April - All 5,200 workers to return to work

Minister of Economy and Finance Mladjan Dinkic announced Friday (1 March 2013) that the production in Smederevo-based steel mill would be launched in a month’s time, when all 5,200 workers should return to work and 250 new ones should get a job, it was announced at the website of the Serbian government.

As Dinkic said after a meeting with the heads and unions of the steel mill, a procedure to fire up one blast furnace will begin Monday and will be financed with the money currently allocated for payments to the workers on compulsory leave.

He stated that despite the fact that the Russian company Uralvagonzavod had not submitted an offer for the steelworks, the Serbian government would remain open to negotiations with that company as well as with other investors interested in the Smederevo plant in order to find a lasting solution.

He explained that the relaunch of the blast furnace would give a chance to Zelezara Smederevo to find a strategic partner, adding that it was agreed at the meeting how to optimize all costs incurred by the company.

Železara Smederevo d.o.o.

Ministarstvo finansija Republike Srbije

Fond za razvoj Republike Srbije Niš

steelworks Smederevo

Mladjan Dinkic

Donetsk Steal

Duferco