The union leader at Bechtel, Mihai Lup, told MEDIAFAX Friday that unionists received unofficial information according to which technical unemployment will be continued beyond the initial deadline, namely March 16, until March 30.
"Officially, nobody at the company told us anything, whether we resume work on March 16 or not. Unofficially, several unionists were informed that technical unemployment will be continued until March 30," Lup said.
The technical unemployment measure is applied for over two thousand employees of Bechtel since December and January, workers on the Transylvania Highway, who receive 75% pay.
According to Bechtel communications director Bogdan Sgarcitu, some of the Bechtel employees sent into technical unemployment in December 2008 will resume work in two weeks.
Romanian transport minister Radu Berceanu said at the end of February that the ministry he runs will pay EUR420 million to Bechtel this year, based on a protocol concluded between the two contract parties.