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The strike started by the Bucharest Transport Company (STB) trade unionists is continuing today, with drivers refusing to move buses, trolleybuses and trams out for transit although a Bucharest court suspended the strike on Thursday and ordered immediate resuming of public transport in the city.
STB head Adrian Crit says that there are currently only three vehicles in transit, and continues to call on employees to understand the situation of the people of Bucharest, asking them to resume work.
STB announced on Thursday evening that the staff involved in the protest refused to resume work, although the court ordered the suspension of the strike, and there is a possibility that this strike will continue on Friday.
"Following the decision of the Bucharest Tribunal under which the court orders the suspension of the strike started at the Bucharest Transport Company STB SA and the immediate resumption of work, the company's employees are under an obligation to respect the decision of the court and to resume transit as scheduled. Checks carried out so far have found that the employees involved in this illegal strike that immobilised the capital today are refusing to resume work. It is possible that this strike will continue tomorrow, as the union leaders put pressure on STB SA employees not to carry out their duties. Disregarding the needs of the Bucharest residents in the metropolitan area and knowingly ignoring a court decision can lead to criminal charges for the staff involved in this action," STB officials said on Thursday.
STB also appealed to the sense of responsibility of its employees and publicly requested them to immediately resume mass transit. At the same time, he assured the people of Bucharest that he will take all possible legal measures for a return to normalcy.
On Thursday morning, the public transport drivers of Bucharest City went on an all-out strike, dissatisfied with the fact that their demands for a wage increase were not met.
Chairman of the Bucharest Transporters' Union Vasile Petrariu said on Thursday that the first step for the resumption of work by the employees of the Bucharest Transport Company (STB) is the dismissal of the general manager of the company, which is still supported by the unionists.
"This conflict can be resolved instantly if those who appointed him director general, I mean PNL [National Liberal Party] takes up this responsibility and dismiss him, ie the STB Board of Directors (...). This is the first step by which we can move things forward in our relation and talks leading to the resumption of work. As a first step, that would be the solution. The STB vehicles will get back in transit when the general manager leaves. Public transport will resume only when the leadership changes, that is clear," Petrariu said on Thursday.
The STB management filed two lawsuits in court on Thursday requesting the suspension of the unionists' strike as well as finding the protest illegal.
In the first case, the one regarding the suspension of the strike, the court ruled in favour of STB, and the request regarding the illegality of the protest will be considered today.
