Union Pressure Mounts on ArcelorMittal Europe

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) - Global steel giant, ArcelorMittal (NYSE:MT) (Luxembourg, Luxembourg), is under pressure from Europe's largest trade union to come up with a viable plan for its troubled European steel operations.

Tomorrow, April 4, will see a European solidarity Action Day against the company, organised by IndustriALL, which is calling on all ArcelorMittal workers and subcontractors to participate. Globally, IndustriALL Global Union represents 50 million workers in 140 countries in the mining, energy and manufacturing sectors.

"ArcelorMittal continues to give every indication of an industrial management turned towards a future in which all the signals are red," the group warned. "In the light of this alarming situation, the European trade unions assembled under the auspices of industriAll Europe are convening all workers employed by ArcelorMittal and its subcontractors to join them in a European solidarity Action Day on 4th April. The weakening of the industrial base of Europe's leading steelmaker is resulting in a major retreat by the Group on the European market compared to its competitors. The trade unions fear that if it continues along this path, it runs the risk of not being able to respond when demand for steel recovers."

The call follows a decision by ArcelorMittal in February to freeze planned job cuts and restructuring at its European steel operations until June. The company said it intended to wait until June when the European Commission (E.C.) is expected to launch its Steel Plan to help revive the region's struggling steel sector. For additional information, see February 25, 2013, article - ArcelorMittal 'Freezes' European Job Cuts.

IndustriALLL wants ArcelorMittal produce a 'genuine industrial project geared to the future, maintain production plants and develop jobs and skills'.

The group pointed out the importance of steel as a strategic industry for Europe and said it intends to organise a 'number of events and maintain mobilisation on ArcelorMittal until June' when the European Commission's Action Plan for the Steel Industry is due to be published.

ArcelorMittal is trying to cut $3 billion in costs by the end of 2015 in an effort to offset falling demand, particularly in Europe, combined with slower than predicted growth in China.

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