The United Steelworkers (USW) union has raised concerns over indications of Evraz laying off 500 workers at its Regina mill in Saskatchewan, Canada by December due to an almost-empty order book.
Mike Day, president of USW 5890, stated in a media interview that the Regina mill has no order backlog for H2 2020 after it lost a 48-inch pipe contract to another manufacturer. Day also indicated that another Evraz company in the vicinity, Evraz Wasco Pipe Protection, could face a similar situation once its current orders are fulfilled.
The Regina plant has faced operational issues this year with a cyberattack induced shut down in March, spanning several weeks, according to the company’s H1 2020 earnings report.
The facility is one of the largest steel mills in Canada and played a role in the group’s 1mn mt steel products output in the first half of 2020. However, it witnessed a decline of 13pc over the prior-year period.