OREANDA-NEWS. On October 23, 2008 Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko suggested the heads of enterprises of the mining and smelting complex to sign with the Government a Memorandum of cooperation.

Addressing the meeting concerning a situation in the mining and smelting complex the Head of Government noted that situation around the domestic mining and smelting complex had arisen from the global financial crisis, in particular, decline in metal production market, effects the economy of the whole country as the mining and smelting complex is the most export-oriented sphere.

“If we fail to find a way out of this situation then we’ll have a social problem because people who are working at these enterprises, obtain a worthy salary can remain without means of subsistence,” the Head of Government assured.

At that Yulia Tymoshenko said that Government is ready to help the mining and smelting complex on conditions that heads of enterprises fulfill social commitments to the employees.

“A top-priority task of the Government – to protect the people who are working at all enterprises of Ukraine so our dialogue should be two-sided: we are meeting half-way for you by our positions and you by all possible positions meeting half-way for your labour collectives,” the Prime Minister stressed.

Besides, Yulia Tymoshenko proposed the heads of enterprises of the mining and smelting complex to delegate their representatives to a special antirecessionary group chaired by head of the Prime Minister’s group of advisers Vitalii Haiduk.

The Premier noted that cooperation between the Government and representatives of the sphere should result in adoption of the relevant resolutions and laws aimed at improvement of the situation. “Either we are one team or we’ll have to overcome the crisis independently and this will have grave negative consequences for the country,” she stressed.