PZL Mielec to fire hundreds
PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea
01.06.2015 17:23
As many as 500 people will lose their jobs at Polish aircraft manufacturer PZL Mielec after the company found itself in financial trouble.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The company lost a lucrative contract to supply the Polish Armed Forces with multi-use helicopters. The tender was won by France-based Airbus helicopters.
Almost 500 people will lose their jobs by September at PZL Mielec in the Podkarpackie voivodeship, the head of the Solidarity trade union Marian Kokoszka said on Monday. The company produces the Black Hawk helicopter, among others.
On Monday, union members met with management of the Sikorsky company which owns the Mielec production facility.
Following the meeting, Kokoszka said that the reason for the downsizing is mainly the Polish Armed Forces tender which the company lost to Airbus.
“This is combined with a weaker economic situation for our main product, the Black Hawk. Therefore, the downsizing will affect mainly people who work on the line, where creates these machine,” Kokoszka explained.
Members of the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party have already said that the government should cancel the deal with Airbus Helicopters.
“Someone is in a hurry to spend vast sums of money on a foreign producer,” PiS MP Antoni Macierewicz told a press conference. (rg)