Dunaferr announced last August that 1,500 of its 5,000 workers would be laid off, but the number was later reduced to 400.

Hungarian government representatives are in continued talks with ISD Dunaferr’s Russian owner, the state-owned Vnesheconombank, on acquiring the troubled company. Dunaújváros mayor Gábor Cserna stated last week that a “concrete” offer to buy out the steelmaker which appeared to satisfy Russian President Vladimir Putin had been advanced by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on the latter’s recent official visit to Moscow.