Since September 2013, USLM (Transport and Public Services Trade Union Federation – ATU Romania) has been in a labour dispute with Metrorex, the Romanian government owned metro company. After five picket line actions, a protest rally in front of the Romanian Ministry of Transport, which was attended by approximately 2,500 employees, and numerous meetings with representatives from the Ministry of Transport and Social Dialogue and the Metrorex management, an agreement was reached on 14 October.
In September 2014, negotiations between trade union and management representatives started in view of obtaining a Collective Bargaining Agreement at metro level for the period 2014-2015. Its main objective was to maintain the members’ rights and benefits and to improve their working conditions. On Tuesday 14 October, an agreement was finally reached. This was right in time since the previous CLA expired on 17 October. The CLA 2014/2015 now contains an addendum that stipulates the improvement of working conditions and a wage increase in accordance with the inflation rate.
ATU Romania expresses its gratitude to the ETF and ITF for showing solidarity by means of several actions demanding the respect of the members’ rights. The union concludes by stating: “After a long and persistent battle, we have finally managed to reach a collective labour agreement at metro level in Bucharest. It shows the importance of union membership, because without trade unions the employees’ rights would have been jeopardised.”