Bucharest subway workers plan strike that could block underground traffic

The Bucharest subway workers’ union USLM might trigger a collective labor conflict that could lead to a general strike after a new round of negotiations for the 2016-2017 collective work agreement failed to get them the expected results. The general strike could block the traffic at the Bucharest subway. The negotiations between USLM and Bucharest metro operator Metrorex lasted more than five hours, but some of the topics included on the agenda remained unsolved, especially those related to improving working conditions, according to union representatives, reports local News.ro. The current collective work agreement will expire on October 23. In August, some 500 employees of Alstom, the company that provides maintenance at the subway, were on a warning strike. The employees, members of USLM, were unhappy with the fact that the company didn’t comply with their request to sign a new collective work contract that was to include an 8% salary increase. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com