Employee unrest in many sectors remains quite volatile. In Romania, miners have protested against job cuts due to the transition to “green energy,” with tensions remaining high both in the agricultural sector over the trade deal with Australia and in the British utilities sector.
Romanian miners protest due to green energy’s impact
On 24 March, employees of the Oltenia energy complex (CE Oltenia) took to the streets in the heart of Romania, Bucharest for a number of reasons, including the loss of over 1,000 jobs in the mining sector with effect from 1 April, the absence of social protection measures and the uncertain prospects for the mining industry. The staff reductions are linked to CE Oltenia’s restructuring to transition to green energy sources, which is being funded under a state aid scheme notified to the European Commission.
Although the protest had been authorised until 5:00 p.m., the miners refused to leave the square and pressed against the fences surrounding the demonstration area, prompting the Bucharest gendarmerie to use tear gas.
Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, meeting with representatives of the miners, emphasised that the employees in question are working on fixed-term contracts. Around 1,800 employees will not have their fixed-term contracts renewed. According to officials from CE Oltenia, on 25 February the company employed around 7,800 staff, of whom 1,945 were on individual fixed-term employment contracts.
Trade union representatives requested the extension of individual fixed-term employment contracts, due to expire on 1 April 2026 for 1,476 employees and on 1 May 2026 for 317 employees. Failing that, trade union leaders have sought the right to compensation pay for employees whose contracts will not be renewed. However, the government rejected this demand, stating the company ended the 2025 financial year with a loss of approximately €49,285,000 as reported in its financial statements, with expenditure on the purchase of CO2 emission allowances – over €98,530,000 – accounting for 38.5% of total expenditure.
“In this context, the Reorganization, Restructuring and Financial Recovery Plan was adopted, including measures to reduce operational and personnel costs, in line with the updated calendar for decarbonising the energy sector and closing coal-based capacities. According to this plan, the renewal of fixed-term employment contracts expiring on 1 April and 1 May 2026 will not be possible, and compensatory salary rights for employees in such situations are not provided for under labour legislation.”
Brussels is demanding a green transition, resulting in mines being closed or drastically cut back, even though they provide energy and jobs for ordinary people. Romania, in its turn, has renewed redundancy payments totalling €180 million for 8,345 employees of mining companies, including 3,997 from CE Oltenia, in a broad scheme to close non-operational mines between 2019 and 2024. Since then, grant schemes have been in place in regions affected by decarbonisation to mitigate the social impact.
“Personally, I understand the social situation, but I want to be fair to you and to the people you represent, and I must tell you the truth. A few years ago, Romania undertook certain commitments to the European Commission in exchange for funding. These commitments, together with the economic state of the Oltenia Energy Complex, have led to the measures we see today, included in the company’s Restructuring Plan,” Bolojan said.
The steps currently being taken stem from documents adopted in 2020 and form part of a restructuring and decarbonisation programme approved at both national and EU level.
The protests began more than two weeks ago, when several dozen miners travelled to Bucharest and went on hunger strike outside the Ministry of Energy.
Glass manufacturers in Britain go on strike
In the meantime, in Cheshire, Elton, over 100 employees of Encirc, a glass manufacturing and logistics company, called a strike over the threat of job cuts, resulting in the company planning to reduce its workforce by 28 people, according to Unite the Union. Staff cuts will affect a number of jobs, including support staff, workers involved in the production of glass containers and bottles for the bottling plant, where drinks are bottled and packaged.
“Encirc still has time to halt this disruptive strike action, but that depends on management returning to negotiations with alternatives. Unite is committed to protecting jobs at Encirc and we will continue to fight these redundancy plans every step of the way,” Unite regional officer Andrew Johnson said.
Workers claim that losing such a large number of staff will have a negative impact on stress levels, increase the workload and create safety issues.
As a result, Unite union members working at the Encirc plant in Elton announced industrial action from 28 to 30 March and from 3 to 7 April. The action will have a significant impact on the supply of bottles and containers from the Elton plant and will lead to shortages of popular brands over the coming months.
Proposals for staff cuts are being made despite Encirc’s high profitability. Its parent company, Vidrala, recently published its full-year 2025 results, demonstrating strong market performance and a net profit exceeding £192 million.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “A profitable company such as Encirc should be investing in its hardworking staff, not making them redundant. It is high time Encirc stopped prioritising greed. Our members there have our full support during this dispute.”
French farmers plan protests after EU-Australia deal
The farmers’ union Confédération paysanne announced an upcoming mobilisation over the European Union’s trade agreement with Australia. Protests are being organised as the two sides seek to finalise the long-delayed deal and criticism from farmers and political leaders intensifies. The union did not specify any dates, merely warning on its Facebook page that “the European Commission’s behaviour is sheer madness on an economic, social, territorial and climate level.”
Criticism from farmers regarding the European Commission’s actions began to mount after a trade agreement with South American countries was reached in January, sparking mass protests across Europe. The proposed agreement with Australia could significantly increase quotas for imported beef and allow tens of thousands of tonnes of lamb and goat meat into the EU, which could deal a potentially devastating blow to French farmers.
