NW Romania Employment Agency Mulls Suing U.S. Builder Bechtel Over Illegal Massive Layoffs

Agency head Daniel Don on Thursday accused Bechtel of "blackmailing" state institutions and stressed the agency will uphold the unionists in taking legal action against Bechtel over abuses that kept piling up in time.

According to Don, the agency received a notification from Bechtel regarding its intention to sack nearly 2,000 employees, although Bechtel officials have never discussed the issue with the unionists, in the first place.

Don said Bechtel should have made public this measure upon completing talks with the unionists and establishing certain conditions involving massive layoffs, and stressed Bechtel breached all valid regulations.

Don also highlighted Bechtel "has breached all Romanian laws on the statute of personnel," throughout the time.

According to Don, if Bechtel eventually sacks almost 2,000 employees, the jobless rate in Cluj county will hit 7.3%, from the current 6.6%.

Union leader Grigore Pop said Wednesday Cartel Alfa unionists in Cluj were notified by Bechtel officials on the start of massive layoffs triggered by a EUR160 million debt Romania's roads authority had to pay Bechtel.

Pop also said all 1,933 Bechtel employees will be laid off as of March 5 and will receive a 20-day notice, so that layoffs can become effective at the beginning of April.

Bechtel finalized the first 42 kilometers of the Transylvania highway, namely the Turda-Gilau sector, until December 1, 2009. Transylvania highway links central Brasov to western Bors on the border with Hungary.

Prime Minister Emil Boc said recently the government will propose Bechtel that certain sectors of the Transylvania highway be completed based on a public-private partnership, a system the Executive plans to use for all major infrastructure projects.

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