Romanian Railroad Unions Propose 18-Measure Recovery Plan

"Today we have sent the managers of CFR a document with 18 measures, which, if applied, would stop the railroad system’s decline through an increase in traffic and revenues, because the state can no longer support the railroad alone," said Miscare-Comercial union leader Gheorghe Popa.

Measures proposed by the unionists include the removal of discrepancies between the access tax applied on roads and railroads, a ban on the transport of hazardous freight on roads, the development of combined RO-LA transport and of container transport.

Another measure proposed was for the state to stop subsidizing private operators on operable lines. In addition, the unions requested the termination of contracts concluded with security companies.

"Since there is the Transport Police, what point is there in using security companies? We have requested a choice between private companies and the police," Popa said.

Other propositions included the removal of excise on diesel oil, the development of normative acts meant to discourage fraudulent travels, a transfer of the train car revision activities to CFR SA and overall state-paid infrastructure maintenance, where the state would not pay just for capital repairs, as it did so far.

According to Popa, CFR SA has lost many assets, which were seize because of debts.

"We ask for the patrimony of the CFR to be dubbed public interest. Recently, CFR SA lost 800 train cars, 15 locomotives and 156 lines because it had a debt to Tunele Brasov, who sold the debt to a private company. The company then sued the CFR and won the trial," Popa said.

Regarding a potential employee strike, Popa said “there is no need to call on such measures”.

The Ministry of Transport, majority shareholder of CFR SA, CFR Calatori and CFR Marfa, wants to lay off some 11,000 railroad employees. Iulian Mantescu, a union leader, recently said the unions agree with the layoffs if they are performed next year and severance pay amounts to 24 salaries for each employee.