The Dacia union announces “the dismissal of 1,200 employees”. How the car manufacturer explains and what are the causes
The Autoturisme Dacia union issued a press release announcing that “the year 2026 marks, after 22 years, a period of production reduction and the dismissal of approximately 1,200 employees.” Contacted by HotNews, Dacia representatives said that it is not about new layoffs, but about the 1,200 people who left through the voluntary departure program or whose contracts have expired.
The discussion comes in the context in which the Striker model, presented by Dacia a few days ago, will be produced at the Renault plant in Turkey, while a new electric city car will be produced in Slovenia.
What the Dacia Trade Union says
“The year 2026 marks, after 22 years, a period of production reduction and the dismissal of approximately 1,200 employees, against the background of the decrease in demand and the acceleration of the robotization and automation processes. More than 90% of the Mioveni factory's production is intended for export, and the loss of some models manufactured here can have serious effects on the local and national economy,” reports the Dacia Automobile Union in the statement issued on Friday.
The trade unionists also state that the Dacia plant provides approximately 10,000 jobs directly and supports tens of thousands of other jobs indirectly, at the supplier companies. “Thus, any decrease in the output of the Mioveni plant is transmitted throughout the local economy.”
The trade unionists also listed the causes of the decline: “The reasons are known: delayed infrastructure – including the Pitesti-Sibiu Highway, high energy costs, fiscal and political instability, but also unpredictable economic programs. All these contribute to the decrease of Romania's attractiveness for investments. The impact on Argeș County can be major.”
What Dacia says
Contacted by HotNews, the representatives of the car manufacturer said that it is a program of voluntary departures already started by the company.
“This was a proactive measure, intended to offer employees the opportunity for a transition with social protection, while the organization adapts its resources to respond to the new volume of activity. It was a responsible approach, in compliance with the legislation in force, used in the past as well. The plan has already been concluded”, stated Dacia.
The manufacturer points out that, in addition to the voluntary departures, employees whose contracts, signed for a fixed period, have expired, were also affected.
“The actions cited above involved the departure of approximately 1,200 people from the company,” explains Dacia.
How has Dacia production evolved at Mioveni in the last five years (number of cars):
2025: 297,182
2024: 309,432
2023: 322,086
2022: 314,228
2021: 257,405
