Romanian Government Designates Strategic Companies to Pay 257 Million Lei in Overdue Salaries

The Romanian Government adopted a decision on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, designating Liberty Galați, Liberty Tubular Products Galați, Romaero SA, and Damen Shipyards Mangalia as economic operators of strategic interest, unlocking 257.7 million (lei) — total outstanding salaries to be paid from Guarantee Fund in outstanding salary payments for approximately 4,500 employees. The funds will be drawn from the Guarantee Fund, managed by the National Agency for Employment, and fall within the budget already approved for this category of expenditures. Government spokesperson Ioana Dogioiu announced the measure at a press conference following an extraordinary cabinet meeting. „By virtue of this Government Decision, the Guarantee Fund will be able to pay the salary rights for the employees of these commercial companies of strategic interest, two of them being in preventive concordat, two of them being in insolvency. It is very good that the people will receive their money by Easter” — Ioana Dogioiu via Digi24

Nearly 3,000 Liberty workers to get six months of back pay The two companies in preventive concordat, Liberty Galați and Liberty Tubular Products Galați, will receive 168 million lei to cover salary arrears for beneficiaries, covering a period of up to six months. The two companies in insolvency, Romaero SA and Damen Shipyards Mangalia, will share 89.7 million lei covering seven months of unpaid wages. Of that amount, 526 employees at Romaero and 1,017 employees at Damen Shipyards Mangalia are designated as beneficiaries. The breakdown reflects the differing legal status of the four companies, with insolvency proceedings allowing for a longer covered period than preventive concordat. Economy Minister Ștefan-Radu Oprea described the decision as protecting thousands of direct jobs and maintaining essential industrial capacities in operation. „These companies are not just large employers. They support entire industrial chains and essential sectors of the economy. And, regardless of the errors of the past, they have the right to a future and we will do everything possible to have the chance for serious investments” — Ștefan-Radu Oprea via Mediafax.ro

Liberty Galați and Liberty Tubular Products (preventive concordat): 168, Romaero SA and Damen Shipyards Mangalia (insolvency): 89.7

Damen workers had protested nine straight days before the ruling The decision came amid sustained labor unrest at Damen Shipyards Mangalia, where employees staged a ninth consecutive day of protests on Tuesday after going three months without pay, according to Digi24. The shipyard has been in insolvency since June 2024, and workers had been pressing for a resolution amid prolonged financial blockages and uncertainty about the company's future. A new protest took place in the shipyard's yard on the same day the government adopted its decision. The government framed the measure as a step toward consolidating a framework for identifying and supporting companies with an essential role in the national economy. Minister Oprea stated that the steel produced at Liberty Galați feeds into construction, infrastructure, and manufacturing, while Romaero's activity is directly linked to the maintenance and functioning of aerial capabilities, and the Mangalia shipyard serves essential maritime sectors.

Liberty Galați, formerly known as ArcelorMittal Galați and Sidex Galați, is Romania's largest steel plant. It was purchased by LNM Holdings NV from the Romanian state in November 2001 for 70 million dollars. Romaero SA is a Romanian aerospace company with majority state ownership, with the Ministry of Economy holding 51.90% of its capital. Damen Shipyards Mangalia, formerly known as Șantierul Naval Mangalia, is a Romanian shipyard specializing in the construction and repair of vessels, including bulk carriers and tankers, and is the sole facility in Romania specialized in the technical repair of certain vessel types.

Government casts measure as safeguard for Romania's industrial base The government framed Tuesday's decision as part of a broader effort to protect Romania's strategic industrial capacity and economic resilience, language that reflects the formal designation of the four companies as operators of strategic interest under the Ministry of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship, and Tourism. The designation is the legal mechanism that allows the Guarantee Fund to disburse salary payments even in cases of preventive concordat or insolvency, categories that would otherwise complicate direct state intervention. Dogioiu confirmed that payments are expected to reach employees before Easter. The measure covers a combined workforce of approximately 4,500 people across four companies operating in steel production, aerospace maintenance, and shipbuilding — sectors the government described as essential to national industrial chains. The total outlay of 257.7 million lei was confirmed to fall within the existing ANOFM budget envelope, meaning no additional appropriation was required to execute the decision.