Today, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Janez Janša, attended a ceremony marking the sixtieth anniversary of the Litostroj company and the opening of two new production units. In his speech, the PM stressed that there is not a single Slovenian citizen who does not know at least some of Litostroj's history. "Litostroj not only made history in an important sector of the Slovenian, and once Yugoslavian, economy, but also significantly contributed to democracy in Slovenia," said the PM.

 

(Photo: Grega Wernig/Salomon 2000)

 

The Litostroj workers' strike in 1987 called not only for social, but also political changes. It signalled the modern era of Slovenian democracy. "When the workers then gathered in front of the Slovenian Assembly and later occupied Cankarjev dom, it became clear that things would never be the same again." It is on these foundations, according to the Slovenian PM, that the Social Democratic Alliance of Slovenia was built.

 

Today, Litostroj no longer stands out for its size, but the quality of its products. According to the PM, this is to the credit of workers, who believed they were buliding a better future, even though they themselves did not benefit from it greatly, and of those who believed that the factory can set new quality standards. "Today, competitive top-quality products from state-of-the-art steel are manufactured here," said the PM, adding that it was not enough to be successful today, but also tomorrow and Litostroj is on the right track. "Within the walls of this building, these premises have not seen any celebrations for years, but they have gone through many crises, strikes and hardships. Now, when the factory has established solid foundations, is the time for celebrations,"said the PM.