Talks With Railway Transport Unionists To Follow Cost Cutting Solutions – Romanian Transp Min

The Transport Ministry highlighted it does not have a layoff objective, but is looking into ways to reduce expenses within state-owned railway companies.

About 100 railway transport unionists protested Wednesday outside the Transport Ministry headquarters, displeased with the restructuring program at state-owned railway company CFR and the authorities’ decision to put CFR employees on furlough. Protesters called on Transport Minister Radu Berceanu to summon union leaders for talks on the matter.

Miscare-Comercial Union Federation leader Gheorghe Sultana said the federation’s National Council convened Wednesday morning, adding CFR managers and Berceanu were also invited for talks, but they refused to attend the meeting. Sultana said unionists will halt activity if the transport minister does not summon unionists for discussions by next Wednesday.

Romania’s Transport Ministry is working on a draft act, whereby it will sack 12,800 employees in the railway sector until the end of September, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX last week.

Layoffs mainly target employees with freight railway company CFR Marfa (5,000 people), employees with passenger railway company CFR Calatori (3,900 people), employees with railway company CFR SA (2,900 people) and employees with rail upkeep company Electrificare CFR (1,000 people).

The ministry sacked 10,361 employees in the railway sector between March and April 2010, arguing at the time that the poor economic and financial situation within companies in the sector required a restructuring and reorganization program. Layoffs mainly targeted employees with CFR Marfa (6,700 people), CFR Calatori (1,100 people) and train car upkeep and repair company CFR IRV (800 people).