The workers at the Kremikovtzi steelmaker blocked the mill and refused to let owner Pramod Mittal leave the building, the press office of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (KNSB) announced.

According to the union there were 2500-3000 protesters.

The protesters blocked the steelworks because of the decision of Mittal not to sell the mill, Focus new agency said.

According to the union, Mittal would not take any measures to stabilise Kremikovtzi.

Earlier today KNSB announced that the board of the mill had resigned.

The fate of Kremikovtzi is to be decided on January 31 2008.

Kremikovtzi executive director Alexander Tomov said recently that the Ukrainian billionaire Kostantin Zhevago was to buy the majority stake in the plant. US company U.S. Steel was also said to be interested in Kremikovtzi.

Zhevago met with Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev on January 30 to discuss the sale of Kremikovtzi.

On the morning of January 30, several hundred workers protested in front of the mill, demanding their salaries paid.