Automobile Dacia partially resumes production

Towards the end of last week Automobile Dacia resumed production and assembled 85 vehicles on Thursday, 94% fewer than the regular output of 1,350 units. Upon the partial resumption of production, the company’s management announced that out of the total number of employees working in two shifts, only 3,002 workers went on strike, i.e. around 38.8% of the total number. Dacia’s union leaders said that by resuming manufacturing using employees who were not on strike, the management of the car manufacturer was trying to force employees into ending the strike, but that the strategy would not work, because the 7,600 signatories of joint demands would not put an end to the protests. The company made another attempt to resume vehicle assembly on Wednesday April 2nd, by transferring team leaders and foremen to the assembly line, but the employees were against it. Ion Iordache, deputy-leader of Automobile Dacia’s trade union added that in order to sustain employees who were involved in the strike for its entire duration, money would be distributed to cover the unpaid days of strike. The sums will come both from the trade union’s funds and from those of Renault’s French-based trade union. Given that so far Dacia’s management has refused to meet the trade union’s demands, and that the latter has rejected the management’s three wage raise proposals, the only solution for putting an end to the conflict could be the verdict expected from the Arges Court on April 9th, when the legality of the strike will be discussed again.