Type
Internal restructuring
Country
Bulgaria
Region
Yuzhna Bulgaria; Yuzhen tsentralen; Stara Zagora
Location of affected unit(s)
Kazanlak
Sector
Manufacturing
Manufacture For Transport Equipment
Manufacture Of Motor Vehicles, Trailers And Semi-Trailers
29.3 - Manufacture of parts and accessories for motor vehicles

530 - 800 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
9 October 2019
Employment effect (start)
1 October 2019
Foreseen end date
30 November 2019

Description

Arkomat Bulgaria, a Turkish owned wire harness manufacturer, dismissed 800 workers at the beginning of October 2019, keeping only 50 members of the staff, in its plant in Kazanlak, Bulgaria. According to the company's owner, the job cuts were necessary due to orders decline, a reorientation of production and preparation of a new project.

The trade unions claim that the company did not inform about the dismissals in advance and that the tripartite council in the municipality has not been consulted.

 

The company, which established its first Bulgarian plant in Karlovo, in 1999, is a subsidiary of the Turkish owned Arkomat. By the end of 2018 the company employes 1,500 workers in Kazanlak and 450 in Karlovo. In the past few years, Arkomat has won several 'employer of the year' prizes by the Bulgarian Ministry of economy.

 

Update 13/10/2019: The company's management announced the securing of a new contract and the rehiring of 270 workers in November 2019. The company goal is to reach a total number of 450 workers in the Kazanlak plant by the end of 2020.

 

 


Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2019), Arkomat Bulgaria, Internal restructuring in Bulgaria, factsheet number 99106, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/99106.