“A political decision is needed to ensure that the work on the highway continues according to legal terms, including the respecting of the contract signed by Bechtel and the Romanian government,” said Fenesan, quoted by Mediafax. In case the authorities decide not to take any measures, the employees are threatening to demonstrate. Bechtel’s union leader, Mihai Lup, said that some 300 persons are presently working on the Transylvania Highway, while the rest have been laid off temporarily, receiving 75 percent of their salaries. Lup added that the union will take action to ensure that Bechtel does not resort to the planned collective layoff of its 2,300 employees. Bechtel’s management sent a note to the Cluj Employment Agency on Monday stating that “the decision to resort to collective layoff has not yet been made,” and negotiations with the unions are due to continue. The National Company for Romanian Highways and Roads (CNADNR) owes Bechtel €27 million, according to an announcement in December by the Transylvania Highway Project Manager.
