Threats of strike loom ahead for the public transportation system in Bucharest
The employees of the Metrorex subway public utility in Bucharest went on a token strike on Tuesday and threat to call an all out strike as of September the 30th, if their claims are not met.
Mihai Pelin, 17.09.2013, 14:58
The employees of the subway utility in Bucharest went on a token strike on Tuesday. Subway traffic was disrupted for an hour, but the impact on the people and the overall traffic was rather low, because the strike was staged very early in the morning, before the rush hour, when most people go to work. Trade union leaders have said they made the decision to call a strike after the negotiations with the managing board on the collective bargaining had ended in a failure. They also call for the involvement of Transportation Minister, Ramona Manescu in the negotiations.
On the other hand, the Metrorex board claims it has always showed availability and openness as regards the Collective Bargaining, in accordance with the legal provisions in force, for the activity of the Metrorex utility to unfold at normal parameters, without affecting travellers. If the token strike does not have positive consequences for the employees, the inhabitants of Bucharest should wait for longer disruptions of subway traffic. Furthermore, trade union leaders say an all out strike will be staged.
Ion Radoi: “The strike proper, will continue for an indefinite period of time, as of September the 30th. This means subway trains will not run until 4 PM every day. Once again, we launch an appeal to the authorities to apply the provisions of the Romanian Constitution first of all, to allow negotiations on the collective bargaining, to answer the respective notifications and to observe the right to negotiation.”
The Transportation Ministry disapproves of the trade unions’ intention to call an all out strike and has called on the Metrorex board to come up with clear solutions to immediately meet the employees’ claims. Trade unions claim the authorities should observe the Budget Law, according to which wages should be increased in accordance with the inflation rate.
The subway network in Bucharest is some 70 km long, with subway trains running along four main lines, the first one being inaugurated in 1979. The fifth line, which is under construction, will be 9.6 km long. As regards the all out strike to be staged by the subway employees on September the 30th, trade unions in the surface transportation system in Bucharest (RATB) have announced they will show solidarity with their colleagues.
Against this backdrop, public transportation in the Romanian capital city might be completely disrupted, an unimaginable nightmare for the inhabitants of Bucharest. The RATB employees are discontent with the fact that there are many buses with flaws in the fleet, there are no spare parts for them, and other deficient buses can and should be easily repaired, in order to return to the streets of Bucharest.
Also, trade unions criticise the decision to slash 20% of the managerial and working positions of the surface transport public utility and call for an urgent meeting with the general mayor of Bucharest, for public transportation problems to be solved.
