Sudden strike action spreads at Romanian Post: offices closed, delays in paying pensions

A sudden strike which started yesterday (Monday, May 13 ) among Bucharest Post office workers continued on Tuesday, when 14 Post offices in Bucharest were closed down. Workers in other offices are threatening to stop work, at the time when they pay out pensions. Around 3.7 million pensioners are supposed to receive their pensions via the Post network, and the payment documents were already sent from the National Pensions House to the Post. According to unionists, the Post management is yet to get in touch with them about the strike. A similar move started in Cluj – Napoca, where 100 employees went on strike. Only 1.5 million pensions get their monthly payments via various banks. Payments to pensioners are scheduled between the 14th and the 26th of each month, and pensioners were asked not to panic, as pensions would not have been paid in one day anyway. Yesterday, over 1,500 Post office workers interrupted work, unhappy that the Post leadership wants to impose a certain number of unpaid free days and reduce the work schedule for all employees. They also complain that now they have to deliver the mail in just one delivery round a day, down from two previously. Employees say one trip is too little for the high volume of mail to deliver. Another complaint is the management's refusal to perform mass layoffs, which would give employees compensation pay packages, and that they are reducing the working hours instead, leading to a salary cut of 15 to 20 percent. The Romanian Post has been in a bad financial situation and is due for privatization. The Romanian government, which owns 75 percent of Posta Romana, announced on February 25 that bidding in the privatization will open on April 11. A 51 percent stake in the postal service is up for grabs and companies can participate individually or as a consortium. Entry to the bid requires proof of financial resources for a cash capital contribution of at least EUR 150 million. In 2011, the Post reported over EUR 43.1 million in losses (RON 182.9 million), 50.1 percent more than in the previous year, according to the Ministry of Finance. The company has been on a zero profit for three years, and its turnover for 2011 stood at EUR 298.4 million (RON 1. 26 billion), a little less than 9 percent below the 2010 level. At the end of 2011, the Post’s total debts stood at over EUR 131.4 (RON 556.9 million). The Romanian Post had around 32,000 employees at the time. editor@romania-insider.com