Construction industry restructuring will cost 11,000 jobs by year's end

Under redundancy programs that started in mid-2000, several of the largest d omestic construction companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) wil l have made around 11,000 workers redundant by the end of this year. Accordi ng to Prawo i Gospodarka, the number laid off will probably be even higher, as the estimate does not include seasonal workers who failed to find a job t his year. The construction companies moved to reduce the size of their workf orces as part of a restructuring process, and in response to weak conditions in the construction sector. At Budimex, 704 workers have been made redundant since the beginning of this year. Budimex spokesman Waldemar Mierzwa said th e company anticipates the restructuring process will be finished by the end of 2002, when it will employ 6,000 people. At Exbud Skanska almost 3,500 emp loyees have so far lost their jobs. Mitex and PIA Piasecki are among the few companies that have not reduced their workforce and have no plans to do so. (Prawo i Gospodarka, pp. 1, 10) P.J.