Nitroporos Făgăraş lays off 81 employees

Nitroporos Făgăraş, a company owned by the InterAgro group of billionaire Ioan Niculae, last month laid off 81 of the 615 employees. They will receive compensatory packages from the company, Lucian Cupu, the leader of the Nitramonia-Rompiro union said. According to him, the layoffs were needed because the number of employees had to be adjusted after the installations of the company were restarted. "When the hirings were made to allow the company to resume its operations, they were made considering the staffing needs that the company had back then, which were higher than they are now. That stage is over, the installations were started gradually. Some works are no longer necessary, and moreover, the company can no longer pay and keep all those employees, 12 months a year, considering that it is not operating continuously", Cupu said.

Besides, the company, just like the other makers of solid fertilizer, is going through a rough patch, because the drought has delayed the autumn harvest.

Nevertheless, the InterAgro group is trying to continue its investments at the plant of Făgăraş. For example, it is trying to move the installation of the carbamide installation, which is currently disassembled and lying in the yard of Amonil Slobozia in Făgăraş. "The installation, together with the one used for the production of liquid fertilizer- a first for the plant of Făgăraş - will double the plant's ammonia consumption. Bringing the carbamide installation to Făgăraş is extremely important. Without carbamide, Nitroporos has no future. Also, you must have heard the statements made by president Băsescu, concerning the mining project of Roşia Montană. This could represent an extraordinary opportunity for Nitroporos. If the mining of gold, silver and copper were to begin, demand for ammonium nitrate could even reach 100 tons a day", the quoted source said.

Nitroporos SRL was incorporated on March 7th, 2008 and manages the assets of the companies located on the Nitramonia Făgăraş platform, which were acquired by Viromet Victoria, whose shareholder is the InterAgro group, controlled by Ioan Niculae. On October 22nd, 2007, following the voluntary liquidation procedures, approximately 80% of the 569 employees of the five companies operating on the platform (Nitroexplosives, Nitrofertilizer, Nitrocontrol, Nitroservice and Nitrotrans) received the notice about their layoff. Employees who were let go will be paid compensatory wages according to the government ordinance no. 116/2007, in the first round of layoffs.

Gladwell, which is a business partner of the owner of Interagro, Ioan Niculae, acquired a stake of 60% of Nitroporos in 2008. Niculae explained that the agreement stipulates that Gladwell, as majority shareholder, would increase the share capital of the company by 28 million Euros, which would be invested in the company itself and in ensuring compliance with the environmental regulations.