Liberty Ostrava begins mass layoffs

Liberty Ostrava, a steel plant in financial distress since June, has started issuing layoff notices to around 1,600 employees. The affected workers have been offered two-month notice periods or the option to leave by mutual agreement. The plant, which had about 4,000 employees, was one of the major remaining employers in a region that had undergone a painful economic transformation in the 1990s with many people losing jobs in heavy industry and mining. It has largely been inactive since December due to halted energy supplies it was unable to pay for. Earlier this year, the company announced plans to close its coke plant and reduce its workforce by 2,600 employees by fall. Many workers have already left voluntarily, with over 600 resigning in July alone.