Oil Terminal employees threaten general strike in Romania

Employees at the Oil Terminal in the Port of Constanța have conducted a warning strike and are threatening a general strike starting Thursday, September 17, if their demands are not met. The union, led by Nicu Androne, is seeking a 6.5% wage indexation to compensate for a loss of approximately 20% in purchasing power over the last two years due to inflation.

Union leaders claim that negotiations with the Romanian government have been ongoing since February without a resolution. They argue that the requested increase, which amounts to roughly 300 lei per employee, is a necessary adjustment rather than a true raise.

The potential strike poses a significant risk to Romania's energy security, as approximately 60% of the country's required fuel passes through this terminal. Union representatives warned that a strike lasting three to four days could leave the Petrobrazi Refinery without raw materials, potentially forcing a halt to its operations.