Dacia strike changes the strategy of multinationals

“The Dacia strike will lead foreign investors to realize that the Romanian work force is no longer inexpensive or without demands,” said the Executive Director for the Group of Applied Economics (GEA), Liviu Voinea for Business Standard. “Multinationals came here in search of lower salaries. Now they can move away and recalculate their strategy,” according to a statement for Business Standard by Maria Grapini, President of the Federation of Light Industry Employers (FEPAIUS). “Companies should expect such strikes from here on out and consider the risk of such losses, because the employees have an increasingly powerful position on the labor market. They know that many other companies are just waiting to hire them, so they can afford to stand firm, and not give in,” said a human resource consultant, George Butunoiu, for Business Standard.

In the past three years, several multinationals who came to Romania due to the inexpensive work force, have suffered major losses as a result of general strikes by their employees, who demanded significant increases in salaries, including ArcelorMittal Galati, InBev Romania, Michelin Zalau, Santierul Naval Daewoo Mangalia and Koyo Romania. Their losses during the strikes exceeded €5 mln.