The carmaker will produce 1,085 per day, 20% less than the 1,360 units it produced daily in 2008.
“People were paid 85% of the gross individual salary while on technical unemployment, but they want to work and get their regular salaries. Employees came back to work as of today (Monday –e.n.), and everyone in the first shift is at work,” said union vice-president Ilie Iordache.
Dacia has interrupted its activity for about one month, in several days in October, November, December 2008 and January 2009.
Dacia is considering another halt in activity in February – March, if demand is still low.
“If the market stays blocked and demand is low we will interrupt activity again. Decisions are made from one week to another, based on the orders we raise,” the company’s general manager Francois Fourmont said mid-January
The company’s management decided mid January not to renew 300 temporary labor contracts, as it had done with 620 contracts on a limited period at the end of December 2008.
Thus, of the 2,800 people employed for a determined period, 920 remained jobless.
According to Fourmont, the Romanian carmaker might drop in spring one shift, if the auto markets do not revive. Thus, 4,000 employees might lose their jobs.
Dacia might register for January a 75% drop in sales, as demand stood at 50 units daily, compared to 200 units in January 2008.