Romania’s largest car manufacturer, Dacia, is planning to restart production after putting new safety measures in place to protect workers. The carmaker, which is part of the France-based Groupe Renault, plans to restart production progressively with volunteers in the first phase, followed by the Car Assembly Plant and Powertrain and Chassis Plant becoming fully operational starting on May 4 (via Ziare).
Starting April 21, employees volunteering for work will start their activities in the two plants, as the carmaker has made the necessary arrangements to reignite a variety of work phases with reduced personnel. Dacia employs 14,000 people on the industrial site in Mioveni, which is home to Renault’s largest car assembly plant and the biggest logistic hub of the Renault-Nissan Alliance.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the state of emergency declared by the Romanian President on March 16, 2020, the carmaker declared a temporary shutdown on March 19, just like other manufacturers across the US and Europe. The shutdown was originally projected to last until April 5 but was extended until further notice, forcing the carmaker to suspend the employment contracts of 13,500 people.
There is no legal block to carmakers reopening their factory gates, as the government guidelines state that people may travel to work as long as they cannot perform their tasks at home. Of course, one condition is that they are not currently in self-isolation or displaying symptoms of COVID-19.
Another manufacturer, Ford, is also planning to restart its production in Craiova, where it employs roughly 6,000 people, on May 4.
Title image: Dacia production line. Image source: TTonline
