Dacia management and unions unable to reach compromise, general strike continues

The labour conflict at the Romanian carmaker Dacia Pitesti has worsened yesterday, during the second day of general strike. Both parties, that is the management and the strikers are holding their grounds, so that there is no solution to this crisis in sight.
The negotiations between the Dacia management and the employees on strike fell through, after the strikers rejected the new proposals of the management: a bonus for every employee as soon as they resume work and the payment of the third raise one month before the due date.
The percentage of employees on strike had increased from 36.7% on Friday to 43.6% by 4.40 p.m. yesterday, the Dacia management said.
The unions say there are actually more employees on strike.
“Some 36.7% of those that had to be on the premises according to the production schedule were on strike on Friday, but those that would normally stay at home and get 85% of their salary were not taken into account. This happened again today,” Ilie Miu, Dacia union leader said.
The  company, however, went to court because it feels not all the procedures preceding a strike and stipulated by Law 168/1999 on labour conflicts were met. The first trial date at the Pitesti Court of Law was postponed for Friday, although initially scheduled for yesterday.
The plant management has filed another lawsuit, as well, due to the violence displayed during the protests at the end of last week. The first court date was set for today.
The plot of the conflict is simple. The two parties cannot seem to come to terms on the raises scheduled for this year.
Dacia management offers 14% overall raise (the same as the inflation level estimated by the Government for December to December this year) plus 2% more in bonuses for the best employees . The raises will be gradually granted in March, June and September (instead of October as initially proposed), Dacia management representatives say.
At the same time, the management agrees to grant a supplementary raise in case inflation goes beyond the anticipated level.
Still, the unions say only a 23.3% raise allows maintaining the same purchasing power as last year and use other data about the inflation this year.
“The average budgeted inflation for this year is 19%,” says Ilie Miu. ” We should have a further raise added to this percentage, considering the management has announced productivity will go up from 58,000 to 70,000 cars this year,” the union leader added.
Whatever the truth may be, analysts say the Romanian carmaker is still at no real risk if the strike goes on. ionut.bonoiu@zf.ro