Liberty Galaţi’s tolling contracts stall, leaving workers unpaid and production halted
The planned restart of Liberty Galaţi’s steel rolling mills under tolling agreements has not materialised, and many employees have not received wages for months.
Liberty Galaţi’s attempt to restart its steel rolling mills through tolling contracts announced for 22 July has failed to materialise, leaving the facilities idle. Employees have been waiting for full wages for more than three months, having received only a partial payment of 1,500 lei for May and no meal vouchers since August 2025. The firm attributes the delay to a 50% rise in electricity prices, limited Danube navigation, insufficient rail wagons and low steel market prices, all of which hinder raw-material supply and product demand.
Preparations at the hot-rolling and thick-plate lines have not begun, and a shortage of skilled staff further slows progress. Liberty Galaţi now relies on selling scrap and other recovered materials for cash, while a future sale of the plant is expected to settle outstanding salary claims. The administrator of the court-appointed receiver, Paul Dieter Cîrlănaru, says tolling could have covered part of the wage arrears, but the guarantee fund is exhausted.
