11 April, 2019After weeks of struggle, more than 420 workers at the Electrolux plant in Satu Mare, Romania, are still striking for a pay increase of €3/day.
A month and a half into the strike, management is still refusing to change its position and negotiate on wages allowing for a decent life for the workers and their families. Instead, Electrolux continues to offer an increase of €1/day and an attendance bonus of €1/day, which can be lost if the worker is not 100 per cent present at work, due to sickness for example.
Any attempts at mediation, from the Prefect of the county (the highest regional authority) or the police, have been blocked by management who refuses to enter into a constructive dialogue with the local union.
The Swedish multinational pays its Romanian workers around €360/month, plus €400 worth of meal vouchers. This is below the living wage in Romania, estimates at €537 for a single person and €1410 for a family of two adults with two children.
Says Kan Matsuzaki, IndustriALL electronics director:
“We expect Electrolux to treat its workers with the same respect everywhere, including in Romania. Management should immediately enter into a constructive dialogue with the union and ensure a living wage and decent working conditions.”