1,500 CFR Marfă Rail Freight Workers Face Collective Layoffs as Romania Seeks €11 Million (About $12.3 Million) for Back Pay and Compensation

Romania's Transport and Infrastructure Minister, Ștefan-Ovidiu Popa, said on Monday that a collective dismissal of about 1,500 CFR Marfă employees is needed, and that the Romanian state must find about 56 million lei, the equivalent of 11 million euros (about $11.7 million, or about $12.3 million at the euro figure), to pay them. The workers have gone four months without pay, and the company has had no operating licence since the spring. For Metaintro readers in rail and logistics, this guide covers what the workers are owed, how the layoff process works under EU rules, what jobless benefit Romania pays, and which roles the new state operator is hiring for.

What Did Romania's Transport Minister Announce on Monday?

The core announcement is that a collective dismissal is needed. Popa said the situation requires triggering a collective dismissal, and that the authorities have held talks with the prime minister, the deputy prime minister and the Labour Ministry to find a way to pay the wages owed. Popa spoke at a press conference on Monday, 9 November.

Popa put the group at about 1,500 people who have, since June, still had employment contracts at CFR Marfă but have not been working because the company lost its licence.

Paying them requires identifying sources of financing.

How Is the 56 Million Lei Split Between Back Pay and Compensation?

There are two parts. The first is 19 million lei in back wages (about $4 million), for the four unpaid months. The second is 37 million lei for the compensation set out in the collective labour agreement (about $7.7 million).

The minister said the collective dismissal means granting five compensatory salaries under the collective labour agreement, that is five times five average gross salaries for the sector (translated).

Who Are the 1,500 Workers Still on CFR Marfă's Books?

The group is not one block of people. Of the roughly 1,500, about 900 are on technical unemployment, more than 300 also have contracts with Carpatica Feroviar, and about 200 are close to retirement age or already retired.

The union count is slightly higher. In October, the Federația Națională Feroviară Mișcare Comercial Vagoane asked the new minister to resolve the case of about 1,550 CFR Marfă employees who had not received their wages for four months. The same union warned that train traffic in Romania risked being reduced or even stopped for lack of funds for maintenance, repairs, energy and running costs.

The two figures sit side by side because they come from different owners at different times. The 1,550 is the union's October count, and the 1,500 is the minister's current figure for people still employed at the company.

Romania shall recover the aid referred to in Article 1 from the beneficiary, under the European Commission decision on CFR Marfă.

Why Did a State Rail Freight Company End Up Here?

The Commission's 2020 decision describes CFR Marfă as a 100 % State-owned limited liability company providing rail freight services and operating multimodal terminals, managed and supervised by Romania through the Ministry of Transport. It was incorporated as a joint stock company on 1 October 1998, following the reorganisation of the Romanian Railways incumbent.

The turning point was an EU state aid case. In its decision of 24 February 2020, the European Commission found that aid to CFR Marfă of at least the lei equivalent of about €569.41 million, plus interest (about $635 million), was unlawfully put into effect by Romania and incompatible with the internal market. The measures found to be State aid included the 2013 debt-to-equity swap, the non-enforcement of debts owed to the state budget between 2010 and the swap, and the non-enforcement of debts owed to CFR Infrastructură both from 2010 up to the swap and after it until 2018. The Commission asked Romania to recover the aid, finding it gave the company an unjustified advantage over competitors. In June 2013, Romania converted into equity a public debt of about €363 million (about $405 million) that the company owed to CFR Infrastructură and to social security and tax bodies. The decision also set recovery terms. The sums shall bear interest from the date on which they were put at the disposal of the beneficiary until their actual recovery, and Romania had to ensure that this decision is implemented within six months following the date of notification.

The Commission opened the case on its own after a letter from Romania dated 24 September 2015, and a formal complaint followed on 6 March 2017 from the Association of Private Rail Freight Operators in Romania.

The replacement came next. Carpatica Feroviar is a state company set up in 2024 to gradually take over CFR Marfă's business and reorganise rail freight transport in Romania. Before the planned May bankruptcy, official data cited by Playtech put CFR Marfă's debts at about 1.26 billion lei, with losses of more than 300 million lei (about $263 million and $63 million). Deputy Prime Minister Oana Gheorghiu said CFR Marfă would declare its bankruptcy by May 31 (translated).

The bankruptcy procedure has not been continued. The company's entry into bankruptcy is awaited by the European Commission, and Popa warned that the delay exposes Romania to the risk of an infringement procedure because CFR Marfă and Carpatica have the same line of business. Popa said no provisional board with a special mandate had been set up to continue the procedure. He said some delays have no justification for the situation at CFR Marfă (translated), in remarks carried by Agerpres, and blamed the former ministry leadership, which he said did not want to do anything about it (translated).

What Do EU Rules Say About a Collective Layoff Like This?

Romania is an EU member, so the EU collective redundancies directive sets the minimum process. Under one of the two thresholds member states can choose, a layoff counts as collective when, over 30 days, it covers at least 30 in establishments normally employing 300 workers or more. At about 1,500 people, the CFR Marfă case is far above that line.

The directive gives workers' representatives a seat at the table first. An employer contemplating collective redundancies shall begin consultations with the workers' representatives in good time with a view to reaching an agreement. Those talks must cover ways and means of avoiding collective redundancies or reducing the number of workers affected, plus measures such as aid for redeploying or retraining workers.

The employer must also put details in writing. Representatives must receive in writing the reasons for the projected redundancies, the number and categories of workers to be made redundant, the number and categories normally employed, the period over which the cuts will happen, the proposed selection criteria (where national law or practice gives the employer that power) and the method for calculating any redundancy payments other than those arising from national law or practice. The employer must notify the competent public authority in writing of any projected collective redundancies and send the workers' representatives a copy.

National law can still be more favourable to workers than the directive's minimum.

Projected collective redundancies notified to the competent public authority shall take effect not earlier than 30 days after the notification, under the EU collective redundancies directive.

Member states need not apply the 30-day waiting rule to collective redundancies arising from termination of the establishment's activities where this is the result of a judicial decision.

Is Carpatica Feroviar Hiring CFR Marfă Staff?

Yes, for specific skills. Carpatica Feroviar has started staff selection procedures and is still looking for specialised employees, especially locomotive drivers and train chiefs. Its general manager, Daniel Apostolache, invited CFR Marfă staff who want to keep working in rail freight to take part in the selection.

Apostolache said we are waiting for CFR Marfă employees who want to come and work, not wait for these collective layoffs (translated), in remarks carried by Agerpres, adding that an acute shortage of specialised staff is holding the company back. He named locomotive drivers, train chiefs and people who serve transport directly as the roles in demand.

Some people have already moved. Carpatica organised public selection procedures, and some of the employees who came to interviews were accepted. Ahead of the bankruptcy planned for the end of May, Carpatica was already hiring technical staff, locomotive drivers, and operational and administrative staff.

Popa did not give a dismissal date or a payout per worker.

What Happened When Parliament Was Asked to Step In?

A legal fix was tried and failed. On Wednesday, 9 September 2026, the Chamber of Deputies voted on a change to the law on the Wage Claims Guarantee Fund. The proposal got 129 votes for, 70 against and 38 abstentions, while 54 deputies did not vote, short of the votes needed to pass.

The union had sent Parliament a memorandum on the situation of the 1,550 employees and asked that it be handled above political disputes. The federation argued that the workers were not the ones who decided the failed privatisation of the company and are not responsible for its historic debts. It plans to keep pursuing legal, parliamentary and government routes so workers can recover their wages.

What Jobless Benefit Can a Laid-Off Worker Claim in Romania?

Romania's unemployment benefit is set by the law on the unemployment insurance system, as laid out in Capital's guide to the unemployment benefit. A claimant needs a contribution record of at least 12 months in the last 24 months before applying, and the job must end for reasons not attributable to the worker, such as a post being abolished, reorganisation of activity or the employer restructuring. People who resign normally do not qualify, since the job ends at their own initiative. The claimant must also be registered with the territorial employment agency and have no income, and no income from authorised activities above the social reference indicator.

The amount is not a share of the last wage. In 2026, the social reference indicator is 660 lei (about $138), which is the basic monthly benefit for someone with at least one year of contributions. On top of that, the law adds 3% for at least three years, 5% for at least five years, 7% for at least ten years and 10% for at least 20 years, each worked out on the average gross base salary of the last 12 months of contributions.

Length of service also sets how long the benefit lasts. People with at least one year of contributions get it for six months, rising to nine months with at least five years. The longest period is 12 months, for people with more than ten years of contributions.

Romanian job seekers looking beyond rail can also read about part-time job applications in Romania this year.

What This Means for CFR Marfă Workers and Rail Job Seekers, and What Should You Do Next?

For CFR Marfă staff, a state employer is asking for their skills by name. Carpatica wants locomotive drivers, train chiefs and people who serve transport directly, while the money for back pay and compensation still has to be found. Locomotive drivers and train chiefs have a named employer waiting for them, even before a dismissal date is set.

• Separate what you are owed from what you will do next. The four months of back pay and the five compensatory salaries are what the minister's figure is meant to cover, so keep track of what reaches your account.
• Keep your papers in order. Benefit length depends on your contribution record, so keep your employment record, payslips and the dismissal notice together for the employment agency.
• Know the process you are entitled to. Under the EU directive, your representatives must be consulted on ways and means of avoiding collective redundancies or reducing the number of workers affected.
• Compare with another EU case. In Estonia, Eesti Energia proposed job cuts as redundancy consultations begin.

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People Also Asked

Q: How many CFR Marfă workers face collective layoffs?

A: About 1,500 employees still on the company's books face a collective dismissal, of whom about 900 are on technical unemployment and more than 300 also have contracts with Carpatica Feroviar.

Q: What compensation will laid-off CFR Marfă workers receive?

A: The collective labour agreement provides five compensatory salaries calculated on the average gross wage for the branch, on top of four months of back pay, for a total bill of 56 million lei (about $11.7 million).

Q: Is anyone hiring former CFR Marfă staff?

A: Carpatica Feroviar, the new state freight operator, is looking for specialised staff, especially locomotive drivers and train chiefs, and its general manager invited CFR Marfă employees to join its selection process.

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