A sudden strike has paralyzed public transport in the Romanian seaside city of Constanta on Wednesday (May 22). Bus drivers decided not to go on their normal routes at 5:00 in the morning on Wednesday, calling for higher salaries and getting lost rights back: holiday and meal vouchers. The only transport in the city is currently being run by private companies that operate minibuses.

The management of the Public Transport Company in Constanta said the strike is illegal and that protesters don't even know what they want. “They wanted to sack their union leader, which they did. I invited them to negotiations, they said they wanted someone to come to them and negotiate. It is a group of agitators and for the time being dialogue is blocked,” said Ovidiu Tănase, the head of he Public Transport Company in Constanta.

The average net salary within the public company is of RON 1,000 to RON 1,200, and even if the protest was started by the drivers, other employees of the company are in a similar situation.

editor@romania-insider.com