The shareholders of the only producer of calcined soda in the country, CIECH Soda Romania, part of the Polish group of the same name, have ratified the collective redundancy plan within the company, which will effectively cut over 500 jobs, according to Profit.ro.

In late March, CIECH Soda announced that, in the context of the economic uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the fruitless negotiations on the resumption of industrial steam supply to the factory, it had to complete the voluntary departure program, started in the fall of 2019, on 1 April.

According to CIECH, over 72% of the over 600 employees were to benefit from this program. CIECH Soda also said that it will keep some of the employees, those responsible for the production of sodium silicates, as well as for the maintenance of the soda ash plant.

The company stopped production at its plant in Râmnicu Vâlcea starting with September 18, 2019. The reason was the impossibility to obtain the necessary quantities of industrial steam at a sustainable price.