ROMANIA:  After a three-week strike workers at the Renault-owned Dacia plant in Romania agreed to a 34 per cent wage increase.

The agreement provides for a 300 lei (80euros) increase as of January 1, 2008 and a 60 lei (16euros) increase as of September 1, 2008. In addition the workers will receive a monthly bonus for 2007 results amounting to 20euros.

Some 10,000 workers went on strike on March 24 for a 50 per cent increase in wages and improved benefits and conditions. The strike follows a March 14 walkout, when 4,000 workers downed tools in a two-hour protest.

Management has attempted to intimidate workers by threatening to move production to other countries.

Dacia-Renault reported record sales in 2007 of 230,000 vehicles sold in Romania and abroad, up 17.4 per cent from the previous year.