Restructuring events
European Restructuring Monitor (ERM)
The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko ("Railway Company Slovakia"), a Slovak state-owned rail operator, announced the dismissal of approximately 191 to 200 employees during 2026, representing around 4% of its workforce. The cuts mainly target ticket-sales personnel and administrative or support staff, while operational railway positions are expected to remain unaffected. The process began in April 2026 and is expected to conclude by the end of the year.
The restructuring is driven by the digitalisation of ticket sales, declining use of physical ticket offices, fiscal consolidation pressures, and the shift of passengers to online and mobile platforms.
The case is also accompanied by growing tensions between railway trade unions over collective bargaining representation and participation in negotiations with management. Smaller unions criticised the dominant union organisation for limiting broader involvement in bargaining, while management stated that discussions on restructuring and wages are ongoing with employee representatives and that a state-appointed arbitrator may determine which unions are formally entitled to negotiate collective agreements.
Eurofound (2026), ZSSK, Internal restructuring in Slovakia, factsheet number 300355, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/300355.