Extreme protest at the Philharmonic. Musicians in hunger strike

Seven musicians of the Sibiu Philharmonic are on the hunger strike, in front of the institution, in the cold, after the first to choose this form of protest, Makcim Fernandez Samodaiev, was transported to the hospital, announced on Monday night, the union of instrumental artists from the State Philharmonic in Sibiu (Sibiu).

‘Today, May 19, 2025, our colleagues Stefana Cornelia Zaharia and Radu Munteanu joined the extreme protest and entered the hunger strike, officially announcing the Sibiu Ambulance Service at 5:30 pm. At 18:40, Marcovici Andrei, Urlățeanu Costin and Luca Daniel were also joined, in solidarity with the fight started by Makcim Fernandez Samodaiev and continued by Antonio Andrei Mihail ‘, say the ones from Saifs, in a post on the Facebook page.

According to the quoted source, the first hunger striker, Makcim Fernandez Samodaiev, ‘resisted 117 hours without solid food, until his body gave up during rehearsal and was urgently transported to the hospital’.

Saifs shows that ‘this action takes place in the context of the failed negotiations for a collective labor contract (CCM), started on May 19, 2023’.

In contrast, the management of the State Philharmonic communicated on Thursday, May 15, that Makcim Fernandez Samodaiev, the husband of the union leader, would have pushed the manager of the Philharmonic, Cristian Lupeș, during the negotiation session of the CCM. The management of the institution then accused the trade unionists of having seized them, which is why he had filed a complaint with the police.

The State Philharmonic is the only public institution in Sibiu County, which has been highlighted by trade union protests, becoming the conflict between leadership and union. The conflict has so far led to the cancellation of concerts, although the public has paid tickets and subscriptions.