All workers of Bulgaria's state-owned military plant VMZ Sopot will go on a two-week leave during which the ones facing dismissal will be selected, according to Dimitar Atanasov from the Podkrepa Labor Confederation.

Atanasov, as cited by the Focus news agency, explained Tuesday that around 600 out of a total of over 3000 workers of the heavily indebted plant would be dismissed in early March 2013.

He said that the criteria for job cuts had already been developed, including age, work experience, qualifications, etc, adding that it was still unclear which units of the arms manufacturer would be affected by the measure.

The Chair of the Podkrepa Labor Confederation at VMZ Sopot informed that the documents regulating work under the new contracts would be received during the two-week leave of VMZ workers.

He added that if the military plant started functioning well, the dismissed employees would be able to return.

Atanasov specified that many VMZ workers facing retirement had agreed to leave the plant voluntarily, receiving their compensations under the Labor Code.

He made clear that some of the workers who had quit their jobs voluntarily had already found new employment.

Inspections by the prosecutor's office and the State National Security Agency (DANS) inspections are underway at the plant estimated to have debts of over BGN 180 M.