Protesting ferts workers lift HIP Petrohemija rail blockade

05 January 2009 15:35  [Source: ICIS news]

PRAGUE (ICIS news)--Protesting workers have lifted a blockade of an industrial railway branch that serves HIP Petrohemija, the Serbian petrochemical producer said on Monday.

The workers, who are employed at HIP Azotara, a fertilizer producer located close to HIP Petrohemija  in Pancevo, northeast of Belgrade, began their protest action shortly before the new year in protest at pay issues.

HIP Petrohemija, which is reliant on the railway link for the delivery of naphtha feedstock, said the workers continued to blockade their own company but had agreed that the petrochemical producer should not be affected by their dispute with HIP Azotara's management.

HIP Azotara was not available to comment.

Meanwhile, workers at HIP Petrohemija were hoping that a newly-installed managing director - Slobodan Adzic took over the reins of the company from Jano Kurai on December 26 - might soon be able to shed some light on their own future.

Prior to Christmas, the Serbian government  agreed that Gazpromneft, the oil subsidiary of Russia's Gazprom, should take over Serbian oil monopoly and HIP Petrohemija feedstock supplier NIS.

“There's still no word from ministers on whether this means [Gazprom petrochemical subsidiary] Sibur will take over HIP, but we've got our fingers crossed that Mr. Adzic will have some information,” said a source at the petrochemical company.

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By: Will Conroy
+44 20 8652 3214

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