Bilka Steel hired 60 Asians last year because it couldn’t find any more workers in Romania

Their number could increase depending on the development of production

Bilka Steel from Brașov hired 60 people from India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka in November. General manager Horațiu Țepeș says he had to resort to hiring foreign workers after he could no longer find labour on the market.

“We’ve taken care of everything, we’ve even found accommodation, now they just have to work. It is not cheaper than hiring a Romanian worker, because the accommodation is also part of the salary benefits and is taxed, so basically we pay more than for a Romanian worker, but there is no more labour force available on the market”, explained the quoted source. Țepeș says he will continue to attract workers from abroad if necessary. “They are hard-working and get on with their work.”

The company has also invested in automation in recent years. “If we were to use only human labour, at the production we have now, we would have to have 850 to 900 employees, compared to the 550 we have now,” the quoted source mentioned.

Bilka Steel is not the first manufacturing company from Brașov to use employees from Asia. Another company that has brought in Asian employees is Galli Gallo, the manufacturer of the Peneș Curcanul turkeys.

Bilka Steel from Brașov, specialised in roofing manufacturing, is engaged in a large investment plan, totaling EUR 25 million, which should result in the expansion of production capacities. The investment plan for 2021 aims to complete the first stage in the development of the industrial construction product division, following which we will open the insulated panels factory and other profiles for use in industrial construction, and then we will start other stages of investment to further develop the product range.