Post on 18-Dec-2014
description
APENDIX
PRESS CLIPPING FOR NEWS
CONCERNING GIKIL
Prepared by GIKIL Corporate Communications Team
LUKAVAC, DECEMBER 2010
Sodalive, trvtk.ba, graĉanica.net, Port.ba, bih-rss.net, mojatuzla.com
Engine drivers strike threatens Global Ispat Coke Industry
Lukavac
15% production decrease in GIKIL
Railway traffic that has been suspended since December 12th, has caused serious consequences to the Global Ispat Coke Industry Lukavac, and
forced the plant to significantly decrease its production. The stabilization of the production and the export of high quality coke to the world market
has been in danger again after 10 months.
Worried about the difficult situation where the company business is at
stake, the management of the Global Ispat Coke Industry has sent open letters to the director of the Railway Company in the Federation of Bosnia
and Herzegovina, warning that the engine drivers strike has completely endangered the production of coke.
According to the letters, the strike has lead to the sudden production
decrease, and all the coke that has been produced is technologically useless- the waste. It is hard to assume the amount of the damages, but
they are enormous in any case. The letters also report that if the situation remains unchanged, GIKIL will continue with the reduced production until
the technical minimum that will only keep the battery alive, considering that the coal supplies in GIKIL are sufficient for the 24-hour production
only.
The railway traffic halt has severely endangered the continuance of the coke production and sale, and the contracts which have finally in 2010
lead to the stabilization of this company. It is a paradox that the railroad
company workers put one of their biggest business partners in danger, directly and for a long term putting their own future in danger.
The traffic blockade has stopped the shipment of coal and the sale of
coke, which directly endangered the sustainability of the contracts, which can ensure the future for 1,150 employees in GIKIL but also for the
railroad company workers who put themselves in even harder position with the blockades.
***
BMG, December 14th, 2010
The railroad company workers strike threatens Global Ispat Coke
Industry Lukavac
Alarming situation in GIKIL – the production decreases by 31%
The railway traffic blockade in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
has caused severe consequences to the Global Ispat Coke Industry Lukavac, and this company is forced to decrease the production drastically
by 31% suffering the enormous and long term damages. If the railway
traffic does not start GIKIL will continue with the decreased production,
reaching the technical minimum.
GIKIL Management is seeking for a way out of this situation, and the
calculation of damage caused by the strike has continuously been in progress. Part of the facilities has already been out of function, and the
ships traveling to the Port of Ploĉe in order to load the coke from the GIKIL Company will have to stay in the port until further notice.
The management is continuously holding meetings and they have
expressed worries because of the sales lost in the first quarter of 2011. In order to at least partially alleviate the consequences of the situation,
about one hundred trucks have been involved to bring the coal in order to maintain the production at the minimum capacity, considering the fact
that 7000 mt of coal have been trapped on the railways, according to GIKIL.
Because the coal can’t be brought from Ploĉe, the quality of the produced
coke is below the contracted level because some of the component, like
sodium base and sulphur acid, are missing. That the situation is worrying shows the fact that the fertilizer plant has been threatened ,too, because
they have only four-day supplies of the amonimum and N-butane left. The production blockade in GIKIL, the fertilizer plant and the impossibility to
deliver coke to the plant puts the survival of the factory and the future of 1,150 employees in danger.
***
BMG, December 17th, 2010
The media announcing the call: Sodalive.ba, Sarajevo-x.com,
Tuzlarije, Tip.ba, ekapija.ba, Port.ba, Facetv.ba, hayat.ba, sutra.ba, Hercegovina.info, Depo portal, Bosnachat, mojevijesti.ba,
bih-rss.ba, biznis.ba, bitno.ba, rsg.ba, banjalukain.com
Urgent!!!
An invitation to the special press conference
Lukavac giant GIKIL to face extinguishment
The management of Global Ispat Coke Industry Lukavac, will hold a special press conference at the GIKIL management meeting hall today,
December 17th, 2010 at 12.00 due to the alarming situation in this company caused by the blockade of railway traffic in the Federation of
Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The GIKIL plant has been performing on a technical minimum level and in
the following 24 hours the production will be extinguished of the trains don’t deliver the coal for coking. We remind you that once extinguished
coke battery can’t be started again, and that means that the plant stops
its work and 1,200 employees lose their jobs.
***
Nezavisne novine/Bizon.ba, December 17th, 2010
The most successful managers and “business champions” awarded
The most successful managers and “champions of business” for this year
are Nedžad Rešidbegović, the director of BH Telecom, Matan Žarić, the director of the Electric-Power Company HZHB, and Jagannadham
Guntupalli, the director of the Global Ispat Coke Industry. Traditionally, the 23rd time in a row, the announcement of the most
successful managers and companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and 25 businessman were awarded among 1,700 nominated entrepreneurs.
The “champions of business” for this year are: Amira Sipović, the directir
of “Standard” Sarajevo, Munever Ĉergić, the director of the lignite mine
Banovići and Mile Lakić, the director of the “Višegrad” Hydro-Electris Power Plant. Rešidbegović pointed out that “BH Telecom” had BAM 160
million profits and showed that it is the most profitable telecommunication company in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This year’s most successful managers and entrepreneurs in the Big
Business category are: Sinan Merzić, the director of Hepok Mostar, Hasan
Nezić, the director of Eurotrans Gradaĉac, Miroslav Tešić, the director of
Turbina IPD Teslić, Emir Avdić, the director of Intrade Energy, Dubravka Bašić, the director of Lager Posušje, Ćamil Zaimović, the director of Lignite
Mine Breza.
The awarded in the area of middle business are: Said Karajlić, the director
of Koavn Graĉanica, Halil Kahrica, the director of BH Kabel Net Sarajevo, Veljko Golijanin, the director of Majnex Pale, Mustafa H. AĊulović, the
director of Gramont Gradaĉac, Muhamed Hrnjić, the owner and the director of HM Promet Maglaj and Mile Atlagić, the owner and director of
AM MeĊugorje Banja Luka.
The awarded for the small business category are: Aco Stanišić, the director and the owner of the Stanišić Company Pale, Dževad Civić, the
director of Civić Company Cazin, Tomislav Ladana, the director of Termo-Flux Jajce, Amir Bašagić, the director of Ingplast Cazin, Mahir Mujić, the
director of EZ Busovaĉa and Marko Vincetić, the director of Imo Junior Orašje. The manifestation “Manager of the year – economy person of the
year 2010” was held under organization of “Independent Agency” Zenica
and European Managers Association.
***
December 17th, 2010
Special press conference in GIKIL
The survival of the Lukavac Giant disputable
The management of Global Ispat Coke Industry held the special press
conference today due to the alarming situation that arose in this company with the blockade of railway transport in the Federation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina. As it was said at the press conference the basic production
in GIKIL is in danger, and that is coke produced in the coke battery which is unable to work without high caloric coal brought from abroad, via the
Port of Ploĉe to Lukavac.
According to Faik Buševac, the deputy manager in GIKIL, the technological process in the battery operates in a way that it is unlikely to
start the battery again if it stops working, because it is very expensive to do so.
“We are constantly decreasing our production. At this moment the capacity is 30%, and that is one of the technical minimums of the battery.
In 24 hours we will decrease the production for additional 7% after which we would have to stop the battery in order to avoid damage on the
facility”, said Buševac.
The GIKIL representatives said that they have had problems with the Railway Company in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last
six months because of the railway reconstruction so the shipment has
already been reduced. “All these times we only had the supplies for 2-3 days under the battery full capacity. The earlier GIKIL practice was to
have supplies for 15 days. We are maintaining contact with the Railway Company of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and we have
promises that the blockade will stop. At this moment we are shipping the
coal with trucks, and if we didn’t do that we would have terminated our
performing. This kind of industry has no sense without railways, because the road traffic is not suitable for this industry” said Buševac.
According to Sulejman Puĉić, ED for supply management chain, this plant
could lose its buyers. So the alloy plant in Macedonia could stop, because
GIKIL hasn’t been able meet the supply contract obligations. “This is a chain reaction problem.
It is hard to talk about the damages that have already arisen, because our
production has more than one component. We have lost BAM 500,000 only with electric power supply. But some of the things are yet to have
happened. The ships are waiting in the Ploĉe Harbor to take over the coke. Each day of waiting costs $ 30,000. those are the figures that the strike
organizers do not understand,” said Puĉić. The problem of this factory is too complicated to be solved in one day.
There were some solutions suggested to involve the railway companies
from Croatia or the Republic of Srpska. Besides the coke plant there are two other plants in danger, the fertilizer plant and AMK (malein acid
anhydride), lacking the ammonium and benzene, the basic raw materials.
At this moment there are about 1,000 workers in GIKIL and they might all stay without jobs due to the railway traffic blockade. Besides GIKIL, the
most endangered are Arcelor Mittal Zenica and Alumina plant. These enterprises are communicating intensively in order to find solution for the
problem.
***
FENA, Sarajevo-x …, December 15th, 2010
The suspension of traffic is illegal
The Railway Company in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina gave the full support to the management
The Supervisory Board of the Railway Company of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ŽFBiH) held a special session because, as alleged in the statement of the Committee, the Emergency Situations in the
company, caused by the illegal engine drivers strike on 12th December.
Supervisory Board at the meeting strongly supported the work of the
management of the Railway Company in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and their struggle for the establishment and normalization
of railway traffic on the lines of the company, which by the railway law and regulations is responsible for the safety of railway traffic, and
appealed to all employees, especially the engine drivers, to re-examine its position and distance themselves from illegal activities of informal groups
and observe the consequences of the illegal suspension of railway traffic, where their existence and their families’ existence is threatened.
In order to establish a normal course of rail transportation immediately,
the Supervisory Board has decided that the management allows the
introduction of work duties in these extraordinary circumstances and ordered taking all legal measures in order to enable the company’s normal
operation.
In the statement, the Supervisory Board of Railways said that they were surprised why the engine drivers stopped the railway traffic in other areas
not covered by the decision of Railways to introduce only one engine driver in the locomotive and reminds that it applies only to passenger
trains on the Sarajevo-Zenica- Doboj line. The Supervisory Board also believes that the real causes of the engine drivers strike are much deeper
and that informal groups that want to obstruct the efforts of the
management, and illegally reduce the current outstanding business results and to keep unfairly gained privileges for themselves.
***
FENA, Sarajevo-x.com, December 15th, 2010
The alarming warning of the collapse threat in “Aluminij”
Ivo Bradvica, “Aluminij”, Ltd. Acting Director and Samir Anic, the
president of the Independent Trade Unions of employees in “Aluminij” sent the alarming warning of the collapse threat in “Aluminij” to the
president and vice president of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
the Government, Federal Ministry of Energy, Mining and Industry, the Ministry of Interior, Transportation and Communications, and to the
Management of the Railroad Company in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The warning says that the unreasonable behavior of the machinists strike
organizers in the Federation has completely stopped the anode production facility and jeopardized the entire operation of the “Aluminij” Mostar. "We
want a concrete and immediate reaction. This situation means the uncertain anticipation of the weekend for us, when we will spend all of the
resin, petrol coke and alumina supplies, without which the aluminum plant
ceases to exist.
Although we lose tens of thousands of euros a day because ships with our raw materials are waiting in the port, it is now negligible compared to the
catastrophe that awaits us if the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and authority in general to neglect their duties and
obligations and do not stop the illegal blockade of railway operations ", said in the warning. Also, it is clarified that the law clearly lays down the
provisions on the behavior in the event of a strike, and prescribes that the Railway Company workers in the Federation shall not threaten the
survival of another business with their actions. The “Aluminij” Ltd. Mostar
demands from the Government of the Federation to promptly break the blockade and allow the traffic of trains to aluminum company to obtain the
necessary raw material without which, it is said, 900 workers will lose
their jobs.
***
Sarajevo-x.com, December 14th, 2010
Railroad workers strike: The pressure is rising in both machines and people
The Railway Company in the Federation does not operate. To be more precise, the engine drivers refused to work because they can’t guarantee
safety for the passengers and themselves. The management accuses the engine drivers that the strike is illegal, and that they misuse the business
image of the company. Two sides of one medal, who do we believe? Does
anyone doubt?
F.Boric
As far as the signatory of these lines is concerned, the situation can be, better than any words thrown, shown by the lyrics of the song by Darko
Rundek, from his first individual record “Apokalipso,” which was a script for a theatre play I don’t remember the name of.
“The Engine Drivers Strike” brings the lyrics that should be presented
completely: “I’m so hungry/I’m so angry/The night is cold/The way is long/Far away from the town/I’m still far away/At the border of sleep/.
Through the tunnels/Through the canyons/Steam in the front/Tons at the
back/I don’t know what to hope for/ Maybe the switchman knows/The pressure is growing in the engines/” and the revolutionary chorus “The
tears don’t come from the dry air/Nor the groan is from the coal/Raise the fist/Let it take us to the better days/Ay, all the pothouse knows/ That I’m
not a servant/The stolen strength/I’m not gonna kneel/Never until now/
Half a billion loses
In the meantime, the management is being strict over one of the
numerous unions existing in this company. That tells us about the status
of workers and the unions organized by the principle “split and rule.” When the engine workers are angry, call the switchmen, when the
switchmen scream, call the conductors. This time, as they say, they appear as one, the new details will be known during the day. The known
fact is that the railway workers are under pressure due to the imperative of shipment to Global Ispat Coke Industry Lukavac which, suffers great
losses, due to the market blockade. But that the workers who seek their rights do not like the company they work for, that is nonsense.
***
FENA, Sarajevo-x.com…Dnevni avaz, December 14th, 2010
The railway workers on strike on December 28th
After the meeting of all the representatives of railway workers in the
Railway Company in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the decision on general strike on December 28th at 7.00 a.m., confirmed
Vernes Buljugija, the president of the engine drivers Union, for Sarajevo-x.com. He said that the list of demands was made demanding from the
Managing Board the withdrawal of illegal changes in collective contract, the withdrawal of amendments in the Ordinance on work in the Railway
Company in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the withdrawal of
the decision on only one engine driver, and not to press any charges against the engine drivers who started the strike.
“If they don’t meet all our demands we will seek the Managing Board
members to be fired,” said Buljugija. Buljugija said that there were no negotiations with the General Director of the company because “He
doesn’t want to talk to anyone.” Buljugija said that there is no way that the Management of the company can make the workers to terminate the
strike. The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina invited the Unions of the company, on today’s session in Mostar, to
contribute to the termination of the illegal strike and to, in any case,
including the possible strike, act in accordance to the law. As it was stated from the session, the government concluded that there are exceptional
circumstances present after the engine drivers strike.
According to the Act on Railways of the Federation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina, the government of the Federation gives mandatory instructions to the management of the enterprise in exceptional
circumstances, so they delegated the company’s Supervising Board to, in accordance to the Law, the enterprise Statute and other regulations and
acts, take necessary measures in order to stop the strike and to start and normalize the railway traffic.
At the same time, the management of the company shall prepare and
conduct necessary measures to maintain the operational process and the safety of railway traffic in order to achieve the legal activities of this
system and meets the contracted obligations towards their clients, and in case of strike to ensure the legal minimum process of work, including the
shipment of cargo for the strategic partners and electric power system,
and to protect the objects and the property of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
***
FENA, December 13th, 2010
Railway workers strike in Bosnia and Herzegovina
President of the engine drivers Union in the Federation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina Vernes Buljugija this morning stated for FENA that the railway traffic in the area of the Federation has been suspended since last
night and that the initiators of the suspension are all engine drivers, regardless of whether or not they are Union members. Buljugija confirmed
that such a decision was made after the suspension of ten engine drivers
who refused to run the trains with only one man driving the locomotive.
He also said that the meeting of all trade unions within the railroad companiy would be held tomorrow on which they will decide what to do
next.
"For our Director Osmanagic there are no regulations or collective
agreement for the railway workers in the Federation, but everything is as he says, and we think that such decisions threaten our lives," said
Buljugija. The Supervising board and the management of the Railway Company in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina got the consent of
the Government to take other measures provided by the Law if the exceptional circumstances and serious disturbances in conducting business
occur.
***
***
Tuzlarije, Srna, Dnevni avaz…December 16th, 2010
Nedžad Osmanagic: Trains will leave, by hook or by crook
The Railroad Company in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Managing Director Nedžad Osmanagic said that the trains would start moving, forced
or not, arguing that there is not an engine workers strike in this company, but an illegal work stoppage caused by several individuals’ own will,
according to "OsloboĊenje".
According to Osmanagic’s words, the decision that one machinist manages the locomotive at Doboj – Sarajevo route, as the engine drivers cited as
the reason for the strike, was rendered in a very responsible way. "The
experts estimated that the introduction of only one machinist handling the locomotive on that route will not affect the traffic safety," said Osmanagic,
adding that, as the first responsible person, he would never agree to something that threatens the safety of railway traffic. He warned that the
The Railroad Company in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has
suffered extensive damage due to traffic blockade that will be calculated for days.
“Coke production in Lukavac has been challenged. A similar situation threatens to endanger the Electric Power Company in Bosnia and
Herzegovina and the coal mines, Arcelor Mittal, the cement plant in Kakanj and many others.
The Port of Ploce has been flooded with goods, and everything
hasstopped, "said Osmanagic for "OsloboĊenje." The railway traffic in the
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has been suspended since Monday because of the machinists’ strike, which is why the FBiH Government
declared an emergency the day after and ordered the railway administration to take measures to normalize the railway traffic.
***
Ekapija.ba, D. Kozina, December 15th, 2010
Multimillion damages caused by the strike: the Anode Plant in “Aluminij” stops, GIKIL decreases production
The damages that the Bosnian economy has suffered since the railway traffic blockade cused by the engine workers in the Federation strike have
already been estimated to a few million, and if the situation does not stabilize the damages could lead to the complete stoppage in the
production of big companies like “Aluminij” Mostar, GIKIL and others.
The railway traffic in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has
stopped on Sunday, 12th December, and until today nothing has been done to solve the problem. The negotiations between the management of
the Railway Company in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the engine workers have failed, and the big companies using the railway for
transport of products and raw materials desperately appeal to the autorities to find the way of solving these problems.
That’s why the “Aluminij” Mostar, a company using the railway to
transport the raw materials, has warned that this could lead to collapsing.
This company, one of the biggest Bosnian exporters, has warned that the
irresponsible behavior of the organizers of the engine drivers in the Federation work stoppage could lead to the complete stoppage of the
Anode facility and put the complete operation of this company in question.
The aluminum production endangered
They warn that until weekend all the supplies of raw materials needed for
the production (resin, petrol coke and alumina), without which they could immediately stop working.
Although we lose tens of thousands of euros a day because ships with our
raw materials are waiting in the port, it is now negligible compared to the catastrophe that awaits us if the Government of the Federation of Bosnia
and Herzegovina and authority in general neglect their duties and obligations and do not stop the illegal blockade of railway operations ",
stated from the “Aluminij”.
They point out that, the law clearly lays down the provisions on the behavior in the event of a strike, and prescribes that the Railway
Company workers in the Federation shall not threaten the survival of another business with their actions, i.e it is clear that in case of
emergency the railway traffic shall be provided, and there is no other way for us to bring the raw materials to Mostar.
The “Aluminij” demands from the Government of the Federation to
promptly break the blockade and allow the traffic of trains to aluminum
company to obtain the necessary raw material. Without raw materials our company’s 900 workers will lose their jobs, because in case of the
stoppage of the “Electrolysis” facility in this short period, those jobs will be permanently, not temporarily lost.
Big companies stay out of raw materials
“Aluminij” is not the only company with such problems. This move from
the engine drivers has caused serious consequences in Global Ispat Coke Industry, which is also one of the big exporters. The representatives of
this company point out that it is a paradox that the railroad company workers put one of their biggest business partners in danger, directly and
for a long term putting their own future in danger.
The traffic blockade has stopped the shipment of coal and the sale of
coke, which directly endangered the sustainability of the contracts, which can ensure the future for the employees in GIKIL but also for the railroad
company workers who put themselves in even harder position with the blockades. This company has already been forced to decrease the
production by 15% due to the blockade. They say that the production stabilization and high quality coke sale to the world market could be
endangered if the situation continues. “It is hard to calculate the amount
of the losses, but they are enormous in any case,” stated from the
company. they warned that they will continue with the reduced production until the technical minimum that will only keep the battery alive.