PRODUCTION IN SISAK IRONWORKS PROCEEDING AS PLANNED - CEO

SISAK, April 14 (Hina) - Production at Sisak's ironworks, which began less than a month ago after a six-month standstill, is proceeding according to plan, a director said. The rolling mill began the production of seamless pipes on Monday. #L# Today 447 employees working on the rolling mill were called to report for work, said Nasibulla Mukhatdinov, CEO of Mechel Ironworks. Now 1,500 of the factory's 1,700 employees are back at work after the Russian company Mechel bought it on March 17. Mukhatdinoiv said that since then, production had begun at the steel plant's electrical furnace and the seam rolling mill, and at the seamless pipe rolling mill today. In May production is set to start at the cold processing plant, while all 1,700 will have been called back to work by June, he said. Since production has been relaunched, the ironworks has manufactured 1,200 tonnes of seam pipes, said Mukhatdinov. He added that on April 11, in line with the sales contract, Mechel Ironworks received a downpayment of EUR130,000 for production. Also last Friday, the CEO said Mechel Ironworks paid EUR500,000 for full wages and transport costs for employees who worked at the factory from March 17 to April 1. Mukhatdinov said the first finished goods for the domestic market would be shipped on Tuesday. Commenting on unions' criticism that he would not meet with them, he said they had not submitted a draft collective agreement he had asked of them in January. He said negotiations would begin when the draft was handed in. (hina) ha