Employees of Kremikovtzi steelworks protested again on February 27, demanding their unpaid wages, reading their own poems and throwing fireworks at the end of the rally, Focus news agency reported.

Metalitsi trade union chair Vassil Yanachkov said that he was hopeful the issue would be solved soon, but argued against the idea put forth by the steel mill’s former chief executive Alexander Tomov, who asked the Cabinet to appoint a trustee to oversee Kremikovtzi’s finances.

“The idea that the trustee would be like a god and would decide everything is not true. Even more, the trustee could dive into all the rubbish and make a bigger mess of the situation,” Yanachkov said.

The trade unions had put forth proposals that would allow Kremikovtzi to sell its output, but the issue was that the money had to reach the employees. The management had promised to pay all outstanding January wages by the end of the week, and Yanachkov was even hopeful for a pay hike.

“Kremikovtzi cannot sack people unless it undergoes some re-structuring or some serious investments come, which would cut down the number of employees needed. This could not happen now, when the number of workers is already below the necessary amount,” Yanachkov said.