KHUJAND, May 19, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- The economic crisis has forced the Chkalovsk-based industrial association state unitary enterprise, Vostokredmet (Eastern Complex of Rare Metals), to make shift to a three-day working week in order to retain skilled personnel and be able to pay wages to workers, Yuri Lyubovtsev, chairman of the Vostokredmet trade unions, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

According to him, the volume of manufactured products has been significantly decreased over the first quarter this year.

“Production expenses have exceeded incomes by 300,000 somoni over the report period,” said Lyubovtsev, “Partners’ debts to the enterprises have also increased.  Vostokredmet’s partners currently owe 700,000 somoni to Vostokredmet for engineering products alone.”  The supply of gold-silver Dore alloy for refining to the enterprise has also decreased, the trade unions head added.

Lyubovtsev noted, “The manufactured product volumes are not able to cover the circulating assets, expenses on paying wages and taxes, and therefore, the enterprise management has decided to reduce expenses on production, water, electrical power and transportation.”  Some employees have been asked to take unpaid vacations and practically all the enterprise has been shifted to the tree-day working week, except workers involved in executing orders.  With introduction of the three-day working week, the Vostokredmet workers have lost some 45 percent of their wages.

Vostokredmet was established in 1945 to mine and process uranium from deposits in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.  Until 1992, it was known as the Leninabad Mining and Chemical Complex.   The complex incorporated seven mines and several plants.  During the Cold War years, the facility produced yellowcake for the Soviet nuclear power and defense industries, processing up to 1,000,000 metric tons of uranium ore per year.

Vostokredmet is Tajikistan’s leading enterprise in the field of underground and heap leaching of metals.  It has the affiange to refine gold-silver Dore alloy.  Vostokredmet also has equipment for production of tungstic oxide and the workshop for assembling computers.