After the railway unions have mobilized their members in a rally held at the end of April, Radu Berceanu stated that ”from a profitable company, CFR Marfa has become a full of debts one and we have to take action. We have to go on a combined solution and diminish costs... to discuss ways to increase revenue, all kinds of revenue, and to decrease expenses, all kinds of expenses. Unemployment is not the only solution to diminish costs. We can think about all sorts of options but the first step to be made is that the retired people go along with their retirement“.
During the negotiations held last month, unions pushed for seven major demands, out of which the most important was cancelling layoff plans. ”In order to preserve jobs, the railway unions have agreed to freeze wages in 2009, to block vacant positions, and to let go people who get both salaries and pensions. In these circumstances, we recommend our members who meet the requirements for retirement to follow the retirement,“ said Gheorghe Popa, president of one of the trade unions.
The negotiations concluded with an agreement to reduce the railways staff with 3.700 people, who will be forced to retire or will be retired upon request.
