Belgian steelworkers protest factory closure in Namur

Belgian steelworkers have protested against factory closures as the world’s largest steel producer, ArcelorMittal, begins shutting down production lines.

About 500 workers of ArcelorMittal Liege and Caterpillar took to the streets in the central city of Namur on Wednesday to protest the companies’ austerity measures.
Water cannons and some 300 anti-riot police were deployed in the city. Unions have said more than one-thousand ArcelorMittal employees may lose their jobs if the company closes.
In January, the steelmaking giant announced plans to close a coke plant and six production lines that would lead to the loss of 1,300 jobs in a plant in the eastern region of Liege.
The company says the decision was made due to the weak European demand for steel in the wake of the eurozone debt-crisis.
The steel giant posted over 200 million euros in losses in the first three quarters of 2012 and has forecasted major setbacks in the market this year.
Like many European countries, Belgium has adopted austerity measures, as an economic crisis grips the continent. Harsh austerity measures and tough economic reforms have triggered incidents of social unrest and massive protests in many European countries.