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29 September, 2026Workers at ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih kept Ukraine's largest steel plant running through more than four years of war. Five of them were killed in recent missile strikes, and the company now says it cannot restart the plant. IndustriALL Global Union and industriAll Europe are calling on ArcelorMittal to put workers on paid downtime instead of dismissing them and to rebuild the damaged facilities.
On 25 September, ArcelorMittal told the government of Ukraine that it cannot restart operations at the plant safely and sustainably. Four missile strikes hit the plant in five weeks, the most recent on 21 September. The strikes killed five employees and injured 17, one of whom remains in critical condition. There was also significant damage to production facilities.
The announcement follows a year of cuts. In February, the company announced it would close the LMZ foundry and mechanical plant. In March, the company permanently shut down the blooming mill and announced a restructuring of rolling operations that would eliminate around 1,000 jobs.
ArcelorMittal has itself recognized the resilience of the Kryvyi Rih workforce. The company says it will focus on preserving the infrastructure so that production can restart when peace returns. But IndustriALL’s Ukrainian affiliate warns that Ukraine’s labour market is in a critical state and qualified workers are extremely hard to find. If the workforce is let go, there will be no one left to restart the plant.
The union is demanding:
- No dismissals. Place workers on paid downtime at two-thirds of their base salary. This would keep the workforce intact and give families the income they need to survive.
- Rebuild what was destroyed. The company should repair the facilities and equipment damaged by the strikes and assess how operations can resume.
IndustriALL and industriAll Europe send their deepest condolences to the families of the five workers who lost their lives and wish a full recovery to those injured.
Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary, says:
“The workers of Kryvyi Rih kept this plant alive through more than four years of war. Five of them have lost their lives in four recent strikes. ArcelorMittal praised their courage and must now honour that courage by keeping every worker employed and paid. Preserving the infrastructure is not enough. Without these workers there will be no restart.”
industriAll Europe general secretary Judith Kirton-Darling says:
“The workers of Kryvyi Rih have shown extraordinary courage, keeping the plant and their country going through years of war. Five have paid the heaviest price of all with their lives. ArcelorMittal must stand by those who remain, keeping them employed and paid during the suspension. Their skills and experience will be indispensable to Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction, and to its future in Europe. Protecting the infrastructure is vital, but without the workers there can be no recovery.”