Machyna: European Steel Workers Are Ready for Further Protests

Brussels, February 15 (TASR) – Thousands of people, including representatives of the European steel industry and around 100 steel workers from U.S. Steel in Kosice, gathered for a protest in Brussels on Monday to support fair trade, growth and job creation and to oppose Chinese dumping prices on EU markets, TASR learnt on the same day.

Managers, unionists and employees from various facilities attended the rally on behalf of U.S. Steel Kosice, including U.S. Steel president Scott Buckis.

KOVO Trade Union (OZ KOVO) president Emil Machyna told TASR that steel workers from all European countries with steel industries had come to the Belgian capital, including from the Czech Republic, Poland and Austria. French and Belgian steel workers, where the steel industry is very large, were present as well. “We’re a significant force,” said Machyna.

When asked whether steel workers are ready to repeat such a protest, Machyna said that everything will depend on negotiations with the European Commission. If these fail, the protests might grow even stronger.

“It’s always about lobbying. There’s a need to persuade every commissioner to support us and to create the necessary pressure. I think that Slovakia’s representatives in Brussels are doing so,” stated Machyna, adding that the correct propulsive force at the EU level is the EU-wide union centre Industrio, of which OZ KOVO is a member.