Romanian rail sector was recently affected by employees strikes followed by layoffs and some pay rises. This is a continuation of a series of reorganizations that left rail companies with fewer and older employees. The increasingly aging rail workers represent a problem signaled by the national rail qualifications agency - CENAFER. Dionisie Ardelean, deputy general manager of CENAFER, was kind enough to detail the problem and other issues in the rail workforce market.
RBT: CENAFER representatives last year said that rail companies’ employees are increasingly aged and that soon there will de no more workers. How bad is the situation?
Dionisie Ardelean: Many employees responsible for trains safety are past retirement age. They cannot be replaced because there are no qualified people for their jobs. Private rail operators personnel is mostly from the ranks of retired workers from the state-owned rail companies. Increasing the number of qualified personnel is necessary; otherwise rail sector might face a personnel crisis similar to that in the constructions sector.
