The measure follows a decision by the steelmaker’s board to reduce the global number of employees by 9,000 people. However, Bors did not specify how many workers will be laid off. “I cannot know how many people want to leave, he told Mediafax news agency. According to representatives of steel plant trade unions, some 1,500 employees are willing to be laid off with compensation salaries.
“There are at least 1,500 people, or maybe more, who would like to leave due to difficulties in the workplace, uncertainty, low salaries, and especially because pensions recently exceeded their salaries,” according to the leader of Solidaritatea trade union, Gheorghe Tiber. Solidaritatea is representing some 3,500 of the 13,600 ArcelorMittal Galati employees.
Those who accept to be laid off will receive compensation payments of up to €7,200, depending on their seniority, and a further 6 to 12 months salaries.
Due to the international crisis, the Galati steel plant, ArcelorMittal’s largest production unit in Romania, is temporarily lowering production.
