The potential sale of Celsa Huta Ostrowiec, a key asset of the Celsa Group, has raised significant concerns among the workforce, according to Wojciech Krasuski, head of the factory’s Solidarność union.
During a meeting of the Provincial Social Dialogue Council in Kielce on Thursday, issues surrounding the financial troubles of the Celsa Group were discussed. The problems became apparent last September when a commercial court in Barcelona ruled that the current owners were stripped of their rights to all Celsa facilities. The Spanish steel producer has been grappling with financial difficulties for years, accumulating debts of around €3 billion.
Control of the group has since shifted to investment funds, which are now managing all the company’s plants. As part of a new strategy, the consortium of creditors is considering selling off its foreign assets, including the Polish division, Celsa Huta Ostrowiec, which is valued at approximately €800 million. This move is seen as a way to restructure the company’s finances and reduce its debt.
“We are learning from foreign media and discussions with management that there are plans to sell companies especially in the UK, Norway, and Poland. We also know that a firm has been hired to appraise these plants for potential sale,” Krasuski said, noting the anxiety this news has caused among the employees.
The union fears that a new investor might exploit the plant without considering the long-term welfare of the workers. “Our greatest fear is that the new investor will squeeze our plant like a lemon and then leave it to fend for itself,” Krasuski added.
Union representatives have called for both local and national authorities to monitor the sale proceedings closely. They emphasized that Huta Ostrowiec is one of the largest industrial plants in the Świętokrzyskie region and a major metallurgical complex in central Poland. The plant, which produces rebar and special boron steels, employs about 1,250 people directly, with over 2,000 including subcontractors.