Romanian Subway Unionists To Stage Full-Blown Strike On March 18

Subway trains will be halted between 4 a.m. and 4 p.m. Thursday and normal traffic will be resumed from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., as the law requires subway staff to ensure a third of normal activity while on full-blown strike.

The Bucharest Court of Appeals issued a final and irrevocable ruling last week stating the subway employees’ two-day subway strike in November last year was legal, which means they may resume their protests anytime.

Subway employees went on strike last year demanding wage raises of 20% and a new collective work contract, as their old one had expired. They were forced to go back to work when a Bucharest court ruled it illegal.

Radoi said unionists want raises of 3.7% this time and better working conditions. He added the government has turned a blind eye on their demands since November and Transport Minister Radu Berceanu has refused to meet with unionists.

„We could have gone back on strike immediately after the Court of Appeals’ ruling, on March 2. We hope the Government will do something by March 18 to avoid this strike,” Radoi added.