Romanian Railway Company To Retire 3,700 Employees - Transports Minister

Romanian Transports Minister Radu Berceanu announced Monday, following talks with union members, the layoff of 3,700 employees of retirement age of national railway company CFR and the cutting of expenses on bonuses, equivalent to sacking 4,000 employees.

Gheorghe Popa, leader of the Miscare-Comercial union, said 920 employees will be sacked from CFR Calatori, 1,300 from CFR Marfa and 1,500 from CFR Infrastructura. Popa added that although the result of talks is unsatisfactory, the unions chose "the lesser evil", whereby the laid-off employees will receive a monthly pension.

Minister Berceanu said this measure is only the first step in a series of steps agreed upon by the unions and the ministry, and that talks will continue on other means of balancing the companies' budgets. He said that apart from the layoffs, certain expenses related to bonuses will be cut, equivalent to sacking 4,000 more CFR employees.

A study is to be conducted, which will establish how many railroad kilometers and train stations can be closed down, according to union members and minister Berceanu.

Popa said the collective labor contracts for the railway sector will be signed in a few days.

Gheorghe Popa said on May 12, following the unions' meeting with the transports minister, that the railway workers demanded "freezing salaries for 2009, blocking vacant seats and retiring those who meet the legal conditions," but did not agree to layoffs.

Mediafax