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Steel mill reshuffles leadership after workers protest

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-08-08 15:12

Leadership of the State-owned Tonghua Iron and Steel Group in northeast China's Jilin province has been overhauled because of workers' protests.

The reshuffle comes two weeks after the group's general manager, Chen Guojun, was beaten to death during a protest against a merger plan in late July.

An Fengcheng, group Party chief and chairman, has been removed from his posts, said Zhuang Yan, deputy director of the organization department of Jilin provincial committee of the Communist Party of China.

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Cui Jie, the deputy Party chief, was promoted to chief and Gong Aiping, Tonghua City's vice mayor, was elected chairman.

The board of directors is to appoint a new general manager, Zhuang said.

Police said approximately 1,000 workers gathered in the company's office building on the morning of July 24 to protest against a merger plan by a private firm to increase its stake in Tonghua to 65 percent from 36 percent. The proposed merger deal had brought about downsizing and salary reduction rumors.

The protest turned violent and general manager Chen Guojun, who had been installed by private company Jianlong, was beaten to death.

Jianlong has terminated its merger plans.