Workers now calling for more say in steel mill's future

ANYANG, Henan: Workers at a State-owned steel mill, where a five-day protest against a proposed private-sector takeover ended in the collapse of the deal, are now calling for worker representatives to participate in any talks involving prospective buyers.

The demand came about after reports that an official group responsible for the restructuring of the Linzhou Iron and Steel facility held meetings with the company's middle management at a discreet location yesterday at which they asked mill management to gauge workers' attitudes toward a possible takeover.

Workers said their attitude had always been clear: They were against the idea. When Fengbao Iron & Steel tried to purchase their steel plant after an auction last month at a price 64 million yuan ($9.3 million) less than the initial bid at the auction, the workers began their protest.