Romanian Railway Unionists Postpone Protests

The general strike was postponed as passengers cannot be left waiting for trains in the cold weather, and railway employees cannot give up their incomes around winter holidays, head of the federation Ghorghe Popa told MEDIAFAX Monday.

"We ask the unionists countrywide to give up strike, as the weather has worsened lately and any income source is welcome in December,” Popa said.

The federation asks the Economy and Finance Ministry to publish immediately in the Official Gazette the decree approved in Wednesday’s Government meeting, stipulating transfers from the state budget for railway upgrade and maintenance works, same as for road infrastructure, the unionists’ leader said.

Transport minister Ludovic Orban told Popa he will sign Monday the orders regulating the authorization and the periodical check-up of railway staff, Popa added.

The railway unionists on November 6 called off the general strike they had planned for the following day, after union leaders signed a protocol with the Transport Ministry. According to the document, unionists would have cancelled the general strike if two of the four items of the protocol would be solved by November 21.

Following talks with Orban at that time, a protocol was signed as both parties agreed to draw up a program rendering the structure of the company more efficient, to be discussed with the unionists’ leaders and to be enforced in the first quarter of 2009.

Popa said then he is expecting the future Government to solve “the problem” related to the excise on diesel fuel the railway company is paying, while the money goes to road infrastructure.