The trade union of the company ArcelorMittal Zenica has decided to go on a strike, as they stated, to protect and improve the rights and interests of the workers. The strike will begin on October 15 at 7 am, announced today at a press conference the President of the Trade Union, Zuhdija Kapetanović.

As he announced, the strike will last until the fulfillment of the demands of the trade union, i.e. until the signing of the collective agreement for 2021.

Kapetanović also stated that at the last meeting at which they negotiated the collective agreement, and to their statement that the salaries of the company's workers in Germany are ten times higher, and that they do not see why their salaries could not be increased by 20 percent, they received a response from AMZ director Nikil Mehta that "everyone should then go and work in Germany".

- It was the straw that broke the camel's back because we realized they didn't want to negotiate. The workers told us not to sign the Collective Agreement if they do not get the 20 percent salary increase. I must mention that the company has performed better than in the past 16 years, and this year it has increased the prices of its products by 80 percent. In the first six months, they made a very good profit - Kapetanović pointed out.

The Cantonal Trade Union of Metalworkers of the Zenica-Doboj Canton also supports the demands of the AMZ Trade Union.

The average salary is 1,026 KM, but more than 60 percent of the company's employees do not receive that average salary. A skilled worker, for 165 hours of work, has a basic net salary in the amount of 694.98 KM, which is 300 KM below the average salary in the FB&H.