Bulgaria Railway Workers Declare Readiness for Massive Strike

Bulgaria's railroad workers are threatening a massive strike over their social demands. Photo by BGNES

The United Strike Committee of the Bulgarian railway employees is going to start an all-out strike unless the management of the state-owned companies agrees to their demands.

This has been announced by Petar Bunev, the Chair of the Bulgarian Railway Syndicate, as cited by Darik Radio, after Friday’s meeting of all trade union organizations of the railway workers. The United Strike Committee was elected at the meeting.

The demands of the railway workers have to do with being paid on time and being guaranteed their salaries, receiving all the social benefits they are entitled to, i.e. clothing, food allowances, etc, and, most importantly, putting an end to the planned layoffs in the two state-owned railway companies BDZ (Bulgarian State Railways) and NKZI (National Company “Railway Infrastructure”).

The railway trade unions have also declared themselves against the shutting down of railway stations and railway lines in the poorer regions of the country.

On Monday, the United Strike Committee is going to declare its strike intentions before the management of the state-owned companies.

Bulgaria’s Transport Ministry has recently announced that the state-owned railways face a deficit of BGN 490 M, blaming this largely on the policies of the former government. They have also proceeded with a plan to lay off 700 workers in October 2009, and 1 300 more in January 2010.

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