U.S. Steel Košice will increase salaries of its employees as of June 2023. (source: TASR)
Nearly a month-long strike alert in the U.S. Steel Košice steelworks has come to an end following a deal that unionists and the company agreed upon in recent days.
The strike alert was declared on May 15 after previous several rounds of collective bargaining did not result in an agreement on salaries and working hours, and after subsequent proposals presented by a mediator failed to contribute to settling the dispute.
On June 9, both parties eventually agreed that salaries will increase by €100 a month from June 1, 2023, the Aktuality news website wrote. The company had initially proposed a €40 hike, while unionists demanded €190 more.
The factory, one of the largest employers in Slovakia, employs 9,000 people.
In 2022, the Košice company reduced its profit from €648 to €333 million, but its sales increased by 12 percent to a new record of €4 billion, according to the Finstat website.
U.S. Steel Košice profits in recent years. (source: Finstat)
U.S. Steel Košice sales in recent years. (source: Finstat)
New collective agreement in works
In addition, each worker will receive a one-off bonus of €300 in July.
Surcharges for work at night and at weekends will increase as well.
As for working hours, the union accepted a proposal to extend them from 35.5 hours to 37.5 hours a week. This will apply if there are objective reasons for it, such as a higher demand for the firm’s products.
Last year, U.S. Steel Košice workers also declared a strike alert. It lasted for 182 days before a deal on higher salaries, by €80, was reached in late October.
Despite the recent agreement, unionists are already drafting a new collective agreement. The current one expires in March of next year.
