Steel Strip

German steel workers are striking for three days after pay talks broke down between the IG Metall union and employers.
Thousands of them walked out on Wednesday in the Ruhr Valley, Germany’s industrial heartland.
They want a six percent increase in wages which the employers have called unreasonable.
The steel workers are also opposed to government [...]

 
Demand continues to remain slow, and the steel producers continue to mumble about price increases:
Strip mill market values in several West European countries slipped during the summer and look as if they may continue to drift for some products. Producers are expected to try for some small improvements over the next few weeks as negotiations [...]

I came across this article by Bridget Freas over at the seekingalpa site.
Whilst the article concerns the future of the steelmaking industry from a financial viewpoint, it raises some interesting points with regard to steel pricing.
Historically demand has been the major factor in steel costs with Steelmakers quick to seize opportunities to increase prices [...]