Today, ETF President, Frank Moreels and ETF General Secretary, Livia Spera delivered a letter to the Embassy of Romania in Brussels to protest the Ministry of Transport’s refusal to engage in social dialogue with Bucharest metro workers.
The Romanian state is the sole owner of the metro company, Metrorex, in Bucharest and has announced plans to unilaterally change the metro budget agreed in September 2020.
This change would include lay-offs ad pay cuts, and completely ignores the fact that Metrorex is understaffed by around 1,000 workers – something the Romanian Ministry of Transport recognised in November 2020, but has since forgotten.
So far, Minister of Transport Drulă has ignored all 21 letters sent by Romanian union USLM inviting him to partake in social dialogue regarding the redundancy plans which will affect a large number of metro employees.
And USLM President Ion Radoi, has been the target of several death threats on social media within the last weeks.
The current situation is unacceptable in a democratic society, in an EU Member State where trade unions are recognised social partners that protect their members in accordance with the law.
Urban public transport workers have been on the frontline during the ongoing pandemic., and contribute to the economic and social wellbeing of our societies. This is no way to thank them.
Post-pandemic recovery must include strong public transport, with a workforce that is appreciated for its role in keeping our communities going.
We urge the Romanian government to engage with USLM, guarantee the security of USLM President, respect metro employees’ right to social dialogue and withdraw redundancy plans.
