The number of dismissed workers has risen to 19, as the company tries to justify its move by the effects of the corona virus pandemic. The unions reacted immediately insisting on the obligation of employers not to dismiss anyone after receiving financial assistance from the government. They reject the employers’ explanation saying they employed more workers than it was stipulated by an agreement signed with the government and point out to 7,500 euros the government granted to company for each new work place.
The worst is that this has not been the end of the dismissal chain: some facts which leaked to media point to other 30 dismissals in the future, mostly in the sector specialized for the production of electric bulbs for export. This decrease of export has exactly been the reason justifying the dismissals. “Following the agreement, in 2020 we employed more people than it had been stipulated. COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected our production, reduced demand for our products and forced us to dismiss some of our colleagues. Each of them, however, got a severance pay”, said the representative of the company.
On the contrary, the unions insist that company must give back to the budget the money it got from the government. “They got it only after having signed not to dismiss workers”, they say and add: “One should also not forget that they used different kinds of pressure to make employees “voluntarily resign” and paid them a severance pay of only 1300 euros per person”.
“Zumtobel” started its production in Nis in September 2018, after signing an agreement wherein they guaranteed the employment of 1,100 workers in the next three to five years.
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