# Mining labor disputes in Romania

> Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/mining-labor-disputes-in-romania
> Updated: 2026-10-21T17:33:19.000Z. Sources: 15. Developments: 2.

In Vulcan, miners initiated protests following salary discrepancies. Approximately 50 employees transferred from the Lupeni mine to Vulcan discovered that their new salary scale resulted in differences of several dozen lei compared to their previous roles. This led to night shift workers remaining underground and day shift workers failing to report to their posts.

Following negotiations with government and company officials, the 67 workers at the Vulcan coal mine ended their nearly two-day underground protest. During these discussions, State Secretary Marius Poșa and Dan Marinescu, Chairman of the Board of Complexul Energetic Valea Jiului, met with the workers. Officials promised to seek solutions to eliminate income inequities, with Poșa suggesting a legislative initiative might be introduced to exempt certain income limitations.

Representatives of the Muntele Union met with officials to demand the application of hierarchy coefficients as stipulated in their collective bargaining agreement and the alignment of salaries to the maximum levels within their respective categories. In response, the Ministry of Energy has committed to initiating legislative changes to exempt miners from certain income-limiting regulations. Furthermore, CEVJ leadership has been tasked with resolving issues regarding salary hierarchy coefficients by November 1, 2026.

## Claims

- 67 miners at the Vulcan mine conducted an underground protest. (reported by 2 sources)
- Miners demanded higher salaries and the application of hierarchy coefficients from their collective bargaining agreement. (reported by 1 source)
- The Vulcan miners ended their protest around 10:30 PM on Wednesday. (reported by 1 source)
- State Secretary Marius Poșa promised a legislative initiative to address income limitations. (reported by 1 source)
- Funding for wage increases may come from the dismissal of 106 employees. (reported by 1 source)
- Approximately 1,000 Minprest employees are requesting higher wages. (reported by 1 source)
- Minprest employees are seeking approval of the company's Revenue and Expenditure Budget. (reported by 1 source)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-21: Vulcan miners end underground protest after government promises

Miners at the Vulcan mine in Romania have ended a two-day underground protest following government promises to address wage disparities and implement legislative changes to improve incomes.

9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/romanian-miners-end-underground-protest-over-wage-disputes

### 2026-10-19: Mining protests and controversies emerge in Romania

Miners at Vulcan mine are protesting salary differences following transfers from Lupeni, while residents in Rășinari protest a proposed magnesium mining project.

8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/mining-protests-and-controversies-emerge-in-romania

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Cite as: Mining labor disputes in Romania. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/mining-labor-disputes-in-romania