Romanian Govt To OK Subway Co’s 2010 Budget, Strike Could Be Avoided – Transport Min

Berceanu said he is confident the measure will determine Metrorex employees to give up the full-blown strike planned to start Thursday.

The minister said negotiations on the collective labor contract will start after the Government approves the company's 2010 budget, adding the salary fund will remain unchanged.

Berceanu also said subway unions want some wage bonuses to be included in the basic salary, adding the ministry has nothing against it.

Unionists with state-owned subway company Metrorex said they will go on full-blown strike on March 18, after a court ruled their previous two-day strike in November 2009 had been legal.

The Bucharest Court of Appeals issued a final and irrevocable ruling earlier this month 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.

Union leader Ioan 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 Berceanu has refused to meet with unionists.

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