Air flight controllers in Romania to go on general strike next week

Romanian air flight controllers announced they would go on a general strike starting September 1, if their 14 claims were not solved. They said their problems involved “life and death” issues and relate to the passengers’ safety. The union leaders from Romania's Air Traffic Services Administration – ROMATSA met on Monday with the Transport Minister Iulian Matache, but the discussions had no result, reports local Mediafax. The unions have demanded the “demilitarization” and “depoliticizing” of ROMATSA. They accused the ROMATSA director Aurel Stanciu of not having respected what the unions have agreed with the Transport Ministry last month. They were also unhappy that the Transport Minister Iulian Matache hasn’t reacted to that. “We haven’t had a collective work contract for three months now,” said Gabriel Tudorache, one of the union leaders, last week. On July 15, the air flight controllers went on a warning strike for two hours, asking for a collective work contract. Several flights on Bucharest’s Henri Coanda International Airport were delayed due to the strike. A controllers’ general strike could paralyze air traffic in Romania. editor@romania-insider.com