Belgian workers Arselormital went to the barricades, protesting against the closure of metallurgical production in liege

On January 25, the Belgian police opened fire from water bodies and applied tear gas against participants in a protest demonstration in liege. This was reported in Reuters.

Several thousand metallurgists of the Belgian city of liege went out onto Protestia Street against the decision of the Arselormital leadership to close five production sections of the local station and to dismiss more than 1300 people. The corresponding appeal of Arselormital managers is published yesterday.

Protesting workers in masks break paving stones and build a barricade on the street leading to the residence of the Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Ruopo. Several outdoor lights are also damaged using T8 light lamps. About 350 people paralyzed the movement in the center of Brussels.

“We will lose our work next week. We want politicians to learn about this,” says Jean -Claude Fitipaldi, 35 summer electrician of the metallurgical plant in liege.

This is another blow to Belgium after announcement in October last year that Ford Motor Co will close its automobile plant in Genka, about 40 km north of liezha, until the end of 2014.

Elio di Ruopo canceled his trip to the Summit to Latin America to meet with the Arselormital trade unions in liege.

“If we do not react, then this will become the end of the ferrous metallurgy in the city of liege,” said Jean-Luk Rader, a representative of the trade union, before going to meet with the Prime Minister.

According to the results of the meeting, it was stated that the government created a working group to search for solutions to the problem of stopping and closing a number of metallurgical production.

"The purpose of the working group will be to clarify the possible ways to continue the operation of the commander-in-law," said Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Ruopo.