Laid Off Staff In Romania’s Railway Sector To Get Only Three Wages For Starters – Min

„We prepared an initiative to grant severance pay, but it depends on the financial resources of the Finance Ministry and the Labor Ministry. It involves a much lower sum now, during layoffs, of three salaries, and other three salaries will be granted after the unemployment period for those who don’t find a job,” Berceanu told a news conference Thursday.

Romania’s Transport Ministry plans to propose a legislative measure to the Government to grant severance pay to employees of the national railway companies that might be laid off, subsecretary of state Constantin Anexia said Thursday.

Following new talks with the unionists in the railway sector, 6,700 people in the freight division from the initially estimated 8,500 employees might be laid off, 1,200 employees of the passenger division CFR Calatori and 600 people of CFR SA, Axinia said.

„We’re trying to initiate a legislative procedure for social protection and to see if the Government has the money for severance pay to railway sector employees. This might involve 9,000 people,” Axinia said after debates on the freight transport by rail.

Axinia added most layoffs will target auxiliary staff.

The wages of the railway sector employees are currently paid with one week delay.

Union leader Gheorghe Popa said railway workers will not accept layoffs without severance pay, especially as such payments have been granted to people laid off in sectors under the authority of the Economy Ministry.