Independent trade union Navalistul (SLN) is organizing a protest action in front of the headquarters of the Ministry of Economy on Wednesday, in the context of the "critical and dramatic" situation at Damen Shipyards Mangalia, the largest shipyard in Romania.
"People have reached desperate situations, they work in difficult conditions and are only partially paid. They were promised that, starting with August 2025, their outstanding salary rights would be paid, but this is being postponed from one month to the next, without knowing exactly when all outstanding salary rights that accumulate from one month to the next will be paid in full and starting with what date they will receive their salaries in full without delay," the trade union informed in a press release sent to AGERPRES.
Following the complaints regarding the unpaid salaries, ITM (Territorial Labour Inspectorate) Constanta inspectors carried out periodic inspections at the headquarters of the DSMa and established mandatory measures for the payment of outstanding salary rights, the unionists claim. DSMa, which is insolvent, is unable to pay and from the income obtained from the ongoing ship repairs, only partially pays the wage rights, accumulating new arrears every month. SLN states that ITM's provisions are being challenged in court.
The unionists also reported that the outstanding salary rights of the DSMa, which is insolvent, are accounting for more than 17 million lei, the salary claims are over 4 million lei, recorded in the table of claims, and DSMa's outstanding tax obligations to the state budget amount to more than 83 million lei. Also, current debts (June 19, 2024 - July 31, 2025) are standing at over 161 million lei (the equivalent of approximately 32 million euros), in addition to the receivables listed in the table (of approximately 200 million euros), and the increase in the company's current debts significantly diminishes the chances of the shipyard's recovery.
In the opinion of the unionists from the SLN, the representatives of the Romanian state do not communicate the status of the negotiations regarding the termination of the association contract with Damen, in order to take over the shares and collaborate with the interested investor, who sent letters of intent to the Government as early as April of this year and later reconfirmed its intentions to take over the management of the shipyard after the situation between the current shareholders of the DSMa company is clarified.
The unionists also complain about the lack of official information from the Ministry of Economy or the Government of Romania, which creates uncertainty and concern for employees and the community.
"The representatives of the Romanian state do not seem to be concerned with solving the problems facing the shipyard in which it is the majority shareholder. In the absence of real involvement and the decisions taken, the shipyard's recovery and job security remain extremely vulnerable," the press release reads.
In this context, the unionists warn that the social and economic impact will be dramatic, given the drastic reduction in the number of employees and the loss of qualified personnel with extensive experience in the naval field, the city of Mangalia and the local community being "deeply affected by the prolonged crisis in the shipyard".
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