Romanian Military Helicopter Factory Union Leader: “We’ll Set Fire to the Factory on 16 December”

The leader of a union representing workers at Romania’s IAR Ghimbav military helicopter factory has warned that employees will “set fire to the factory” unless authorities address their demands over wages and a shortage of orders.

Șuba Arpad made the remark during a dispute that brought workers out in protest on 12 October 2026. Employees want an agreed pay increase and enough contracts to keep the factory working.

Workers set a December deadline

The union says an inflation-linked wage increase negotiated in June remains unpaid, while board members’ allowances have increased more than fourfold.

Arpad gave authorities until 15 December to resolve the pay dispute and help raise the factory’s workload from below 20% towards 90% of capacity.

His warning referred to what might happen after that deadline. He did not specify what action employees would take or clarify whether he meant setting fire to the factory figuratively.

What is SAFE, and how much will Romania receive?

SAFE, short for Security Action for Europe, is the European Union’s €150 billion defence loan programme. It helps member states finance military equipment purchases, principally through joint procurement, while increasing the European defence industry’s production capacity.

The money comes as repayable, long-term loans. The programme is intended to give governments the financing needed to place substantial orders and give manufacturers greater certainty about future demand. It forms part of the EU’s wider Readiness 2030 defence initiative.

Romania’s allocation is approximately €16.7 billion. According to the European Commission, the country received €2.5 billion in initial financing on 26 August 2026, equivalent to 15% of its allocation.

That means Romania has already received an initial payment under the programme. Further disbursements depend on agreed milestones and implementation. The Commission says the funding is intended to accelerate military modernisation and strengthen defence industry capacity.

European funding does not automatically mean orders for IAR

SAFE supports European procurement, but its eligibility rules do not reserve each country’s borrowing for factories within its own borders. Joint purchases can involve suppliers across participating countries. A Romanian allocation therefore does not, by itself, establish how much work IAR will receive.

Arpad said workers wanted involvement in SAFE but feared benefits could take around three years to materialise. He criticised buying finished helicopters from France while IAR lacked work.