On May 20 ArcelorMittal Hunedoara, Romania-based subsidiary of the world's largest integrated metals and mining company ArcelorMittal, stopped its operations for a 10-day period, as it has already achieved its production targets for the current month.
During the stoppage period, ArcelorMittal Hunedoara will carry out some scheduled repair and maintenance works, employing part of the plant's workers.
Trade union official Dorin Redinciuc stated that the plant's staff will be sent by rotation on five-day holidays, followed by a technical unemployment period during which they will be paid 75 percent of their wage to which seniority benefit will be added.
In recent times ArcelorMittal Hunedoara has been forced to temporarily halt operations on several occasions due to lack of orders caused by the world economic downturn. As SteelOrbis previously reported, the plant halted production in October 2008, with its 1,200 employees going on obligatory leave in November and returning to work in mid-January 2009.