Focus News Agency quoted Mr Lydmil Pavlov chairman of Podkrepa Trade Union said that the coke chemical plant in Kremikovtzi steel mill would close if no strategic investor is found by January 10th 2009.

He said that that is why trade unions are preparing new protest rallies. He added that "After January 10th 2009, temperatures will start falling and the first thing that we will lose is the coke chemical plant."

Mr Pavlov said that currently an electric furnace is also operating that produces steel that goes for hot stretch besides the plant. However, the production is a bit worrying. He added that "Almost all workers have received their October salaries before the Christmas holidays. Only the workers of 4 plants of the complex have not been paid yet, but will receive their salaries on December 29th 2008. The money for the salaries was secured with the manufactured production that is difficult to be placed on the domestic market. The true operator of Kremikovtzi is only one, and this is Smart Group, the rest also have intentions, but have shown nothing."

Mr Vasil Ysanachkov chairman of the Metal workers federation with the Confederation of the Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria has defined 2008 as the hardest year for the steel mill. He said that "2008 was a very hard year for Kremikovtsi, there was a series of unexplainable things, in the conditions of super price for metals the mill was closed twice, which was completely irrational on behalf of representatives of the government and the economy minister. The act for declaring the still mill insolvent was also irrational. After all that the mill fell into a greater collapse."(Source: SteelGuru)