TAROM recorded losses of approximately 2.5 million euros during the pilots' protest on Monday, this being an alarm signal against the current working conditions and poor management in the company, according to a press release from Union of Line Pilots from Romania (SPLR).
"Today, the pilots raised a strong alarm signal, protesting against the current working conditions and poor management in the company. This action is an alarm signal, considering that many critical aspects, including those related to the safety of passengers, have been ignored for too long. (...) This interruption of activity, although necessary, is regrettable for our passengers. (...) Our actions are motivated by the desire to improve the safety and quality of the services offered, ensuring a safe and dignified working environment for our crew", says the press release sent to AGERPRES.
The pilots claim that, despite the clear legislation, including Law 223 on Fortification Food, TAROM continues to neglect the proper nutrition for the flight personnel.
"This non-compliance with the regulations endangers both our health and the safety of flight operations. We consider it superfluous to justify the importance of adequate nutrition in accordance with the law in force. The uniforms of the TAROM flight personnel, old and incomplete, do not comply with the standards of labor protection (Law 319/2006 and Government's Decision 355/2007). This directly affects the safety of personnel during operations and compromises the company's professional image. Safety on board our aircraft depends on appropriate equipment and working conditions, which currently are not guaranteed", they say.
In terms of remuneration, TAROM pilots and technical staff face incomes and benefits far below the industry average, having non-indexed salaries since 2008, according to the release. This situation led to the loss of qualified personnel, who migrate to companies that offer better conditions.
"Although our training is expensive and requires considerable investment from TAROM, the competition takes advantage of these trained personnel without covering the training costs, which seriously affects TAROM's ability to provide efficient flights, while also affecting the company's budget. Poor working conditions and the inefficient management of ground services and aircraft maintenance have deteriorated the quality of the travel experience for our passengers. Deficiencies in maintenance and other essential services affect the punctuality, comfort and predictability of the flight schedule", the SPLR informs.
In addition, the TAROM pilots say that, in the last 8 months, they have signaled this precarious situation and have been ignored.
"Today we engaged in negotiations with the Ministry of Transport, without concrete results. Instead of solving the reported problems, they resorted to delays and threats to replace the staff with crews from competing companies. This lack of action culminated in a high financial loss for TAROM. In just a few hours of protest, the company recorded losses of approximately 2.5 million euros, which would have been enough to cover salary increases for an entire year. We make an urgent appeal to the management of TAROM and the competent authorities to take immediate and concrete action to remedy reported problems. It is essential to ensure proper working conditions, comply with safety legislation and provide benefits in line with industry standards, to maintain the safety and professionalism of our operations," the pilots' union says.
The TAROM company canceled 10 domestic and foreign flights on Monday due to the temporary unavailability of flight crew members, the air operator announced.
"In accordance with international aviation regulations and strict domestic flight safety policies, each of the respective flights was canceled because a crew member of each aircraft was declared 'unfit to fly'. The individual decisions of the pilots were made in accordance with the regulations in force, to ensure the safety and comfort of the passengers and the crew", TAROM representatives inform in a press release.
The canceled routes were: ROT101/2 Otopeni -Cairo-Otopeni, ROT167/8 Otopeni -Beirut-Otopeni, ROT187/8 Otopeni -Amman-Otopeni, ROT701/2 Otopeni - Iasi-Otopeni, ROT621/2 Otopeni - Oradea-Otopeni , ROT261/2 Otopeni - Istanbul-Otopeni, ROT231/2 - Otopeni - Budapest-Otopeni, ROT 301/2 - Otopeni - Frankfurt-Otopeni, ROT361/2 - Otopeni - Amsterdam - Otopeni and ROT 381/2 Otopeni - Paris -Otopeni.
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