Shipyard workers march through streets of Szczecin

More than 1,500 employees of Stocznia Szczecinska Porta Holding SA, the Szczecin Shipyard, participated in a march through the streets of Szczecin yesterday in protest against the financial problems of the largest employer in the Western Pomeranian region. The workers are demanding large-scale financial help from banks as well as from the government. The shipyard has been out of operation since March 4, and employees recently received their pay for February. Stocznia Szczecinska owes over $300 million to creditors. A consortium of seven banks created to restructure the Szczecin Shipyard is to meet today. "If the banks assess that the loan is secure, then the government will also be ready to mobilize financial support," said Economy Minister Jacek Piechota. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A1; Prawo i Gospodarka, p. 2) A.K.