The following morning, February 15, the workers refused to start working, demanding the release of the arrested union leaders, the recognition of the unions that were disbanded on February 12 and the removal of the state of emergency. The representative of the employer, engineer Atanasiu, refused to discuss with the workers, arguing he will only discuss with the officially sanctioned social-democratic unions. About 4000 workers barricaded themselves inside the workshops while the Army surrounded them within two hours of the beginning of the strike.