Some 2,250 Workers In E. Romania Fired In Past Two Months

Part of the employees worked for steel mill ArcelorMittal Galati and requested to be let go through the plant’s voluntary layoffs program.

 

So far, 500 out of total 13,600 employees of ArcelorMittal Galati signed up for the voluntary layoffs scheme, while the number of workers who want to leave reaches 1,700.

 

The number of unemployed people in Galati county is likely to increase, as 40 companies in the area announced personnel cuts exceeding 4,500 people for December 2008 and January this year, the employment agency said.

 

According to Carmen Tofan, executive manager of Galati Employment Agency, the actual number of layoffs could be below the announced figures, as companies might have taken precautions when notifying the employment agency about personnel cuts.

 

“An example would be the construction company Vega 93 SRL Galati, which announced 1,600 layoffs but let go only 390 employees so far,” Tofan said.

Corneliu Istrate, owner of Vega group, admitted not all 1,600 employees will be let go.

 

“Now is not a good period for constructions (…), but as of March, we will recall most of the employees to work,” Istrate said.

 

For February, the employment agency in Galati received notifications regarding 420 layoffs. Most of the layoffs might be operated at ICMRS Galaţi, which said it could fire 250 out of 792 employees.