MTI set to layoff roughly 8,000 railway company employees

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (MTI) is resolute to lay off between 7,100 and 8,300 railway company employees , which, along with other spending cuts, will lead to savings worth 788 M RON in 2011, compared to the current year, Mediafax reports.

"We want to bring railway companies in a balanced state, given their annual losses of 600-700 M RON, with that money to be used for road investments and so on," Transport Minister Radu Berceanu said while in Ploiesti yesterday, adding that railway passenger operator CFR Calatori, to give just one example, receives an annual amount of 1.3 bln RON in subsidies, and yet, it manages to conclude the year with debts of circa 700-800 M RON, despite layoffs being operated by the majority of such companies, with the said subsidy not being used for fear the company might sustain losses.

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