Berkut Supports Temporary Mykolayiv Alumina Management

On the evening of July 7 at a meeting of plant workers Industrial Policy Minister Vasyl Hureyev proclaimed a cooling off period until July 9, when the court was to decide the dispute, during which time the plant would be in the hands of the Minister of Industrial Policy, his first deputy, State Corporate Rights Agency head Oleh Taranov, and oblast Internal Affairs Administration director Petro Shapiro accompanied by officers from a Berkut elite law enforcement special unit. The visitors went to the general directors office but were barred entry by the militia (police). Mr. Mieshyn, who was in the office, was told that Mr. Hryshchenko had been placed temporarily in charge and was empowered "to coordinate the work of the enterprise." The new coordinator immediately issued several orders, firing deputy director for security Volodymyr Butenko, setting up a new security procedure, and announcing that plant security would now be in the hands of internal affairs authorities.

News of what had happened immediately spread through the enterprise, and a large number of people gathered at the plant. After neither the head of the trade union, lawyer, nor deputies could get to the director's office through the police cordon, the crowd started to shout and create a scene. Mieshyn, who came out after half an hour of negotiations, commented, "The plant has been taken over. Serhiy Hryshchenko signed orders prepared by Mykola Naboka."

At spontaneous meetings of the workers following the incident Mr. Hureyev was compelled to offer further explanation: "Taking into account that the plant workers do not accept Mykola Naboka, in order for the plant to operate the shareholders and ministry were forced to send the first deputy minister. Believe me, Hryshchenko won't do anything stupid."

Meanwhile, it looks like this time in the role of peacekeeper ("In connection with the fact that the situation threatens a societal outburst, the Cabinet became concerned and sent me here") Hureyev, who has been in Mykolayiv almost constantly the past two weeks, has failed, despite the fact that, unlike Mykola Naboka, Serhiy Hryshchenko has no ties to the Transworld Group, which is trying to privatize Mykolayiv Alumina, the employees still want the order ousting their former director reversed. Hryshchenko called individually his office the deputy directors and representatives of the plant management for talks. None came.

Yet, Vasyl Hureyev also stands alone: Hryshchenko "will coordinate work" temporarily until the enterprise's stockholders meeting, the date of which is soon to be announced.

SEQUEL

Invited to the session hall of the oblast council, shop supervisors were told a production council would be held. "The first council will be held in the Oblast State Administration to prevent further stupid things," explained Governor Mykola Kruhov.

Industrial Policy Hureyev was represented as the "coordinator" for Serhiy Hryshchenko, had the same relationship with Mykola Naboka who has already been issued his identity card as director of the Mykolayiv Alumina Plant. His first orders were to fire the director for plant security, annul all orders issued by Vitaly Mieshyn after June 24, transferring the enterprise's seal to Hryshchenko, etc. By a strange turn of circumstances Mieshyn was no longer in Mykolayiv, having been called to Kyiv for questioning by the SBU.