Employees of Zhytomyr confectionary factory ZhL (formerly CJSC Zhytomyrski Lasoschi) have declared a 10-day strike due to the possible attempt of an illegal seizure of the factory, member of the supervisory boar d of ZhL Denys Dolynsky said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine.

"We've blocked the Kyiv-Chop highway not to allow [ so-called ] 'Titushky' [ thugs ] to the factory. Today we've declared a 10-day strike… The loss of our enterprise is UAH 3 million a day, this is from idle time. Workshops are idle. We don’t buy raw materials. We've warned everyone that we will go on strike until the situation with Mr. Serhiy Pashynsky is not resolved," he said.

Dolynsky said that the company learnt on November 27 that ZhL double liability company was removed from the state register of companies. The new enterprise and the owner of the assets of Zhytomyr confectionary factory appeared with the new name with its director. The company claimed that an illegal seizure of the company is being prepared by MP Pashynsky and his partner Serhiy Tyschenko.

"We will demand that Mr. Shokin [Prosecutor General of Ukraine Viktor Shokin] registers the applications against Pashynsky, scarps parliamentary immunity from prosecution from him and conducts an investigation," he said.

He said that ZhL sells its products to 37 countries. Monthly sales reach UAH 150 million. The company's share of the confectionary product market is 7%, and now ZhL's products are being rebranded and unified under the brand Zhytomyir Sweets.

Dolynsky said that the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine has not refunded around UAH 40 million of VAT to the company in the past 18 months. In the past year the factory has invested around EUR 4 million in new equipment.

Former co-owner of ZhL Yuriy Leschynsky said in an interview with Еспресо.TV that his company Delta Capital S. A. is the legal owner of Zhytomyr confectionary factory, which was illegally seized in 2010 by Ihor Boiko (the current owner of ZhL double liability company).