Uncertain future for former Mechel factories in Romania

The five factories that were part of Russian Mechel have serious trouble, and last week the employees went out in the streets, at Campia Turzii, to demand their compensation payments due after the dismissal, and in Braila to draw attention to the uncertain future of the factory.

Former employees of Mechel Campia Turzii were announced on Friday, after three weeks of protests, that they were transferred into accounts the payable half of the amount as compensation payment following redundancy.

The factory management promised that the other half will be paid next week.
Other three companies that were owned by the Russian concern Mechel in Romania became insolvent.

It's about those in Buzau, Oţelu Rosu and Targoviste. In Buzau, the unions argue that the activity will continue at a capacity of 50 percent, but in Targoviste, the management has already announced that they will be laid off 512 workers.

The fifth company that was part of the Russian Mechel group – Laminorul Braila – did not enter yet into insolvency, but the employees are worried about the future of the factory and fate of jobs and protested on Friday against Prefecture, pointing out that within the plant are further cut scrap and that cars leave without documents accompanying the goods.

Mechel recently sold all five combined held in Romania, heavily indebted, for the symbolic price of 230 lei, to the company Nikarom Invest in Bucharest, controlled by two people with Russian citizenship.

Translated by Alexandra-Diana Mircea
MTTLC, Bucharest University