May 21 (SeeNews) - Bosnian iron ore mine ArcelorMittal Prijedor said it has ceased work and sent part of its employees on temporary leave due to a drop in demand for steel and iron ore caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.
"In order to ensure sustainability of the company, a number of measures have been taken in response to this unprecedented downturn; these measures include downtime and sending workers on temporary leave," ArcelorMittal Prijedor said in a press release on Wednesday.
Every month, ArcelorMittal Prijedor will furlough a different group of workers comprising 30% of its workforce, as the first batch has already been sent home, a company representative told SeeNews.
The official also said that during the downtime the company will conduct repairs of its equipment.
ArcelorMittal owns a steel plant in Zenica, in central Bosnia, where it processes iron ore produced at the Prijedor mine.
On Tuesday, ArcelorMittal Zenica ceased production after its workers went on strike against a decision of the company's management to send on temporary leave most employees.
Zenica is located in the Federation, while Prijedor is located in the Serb Republic, two autonomous entities forming Bosnia and Herzegovina.