BUCHAREST, March 14 (RFE/RL) - Striking Romanian
metro workers have rejected a claim by the government that the strike
is virtually over, and that about two-thirds of the strikers have
agreed to return to work. The nearly two-week strike has crippled
transportation in Bucharest, where hundreds of thousands of people
usually ride the metro daily.
As labor tension has spread recently across Romania, Prime Minister Nicolae Vacaroiu took a hard-line approach to the metro strike, threatening to fire striking workers, and labeling the strike over wages and working conditions a threat to national security.
Our Bucharest correspondent cites labor leaders as saying only about 1,500 of the estimated 6,000 workers on strike have agreed to return to work. Labor leaders again issued a call for support from other labor groups, and for renewed negotiations with the government.
The chairman of Romania's Senate, Oliviu Gherman, held talks with strike leaders yesterday. Our correspondent reports that on the recommendation of Gherman, Prime Minister Vacaroiu then also held talks with the strikers.
As labor tension has spread recently across Romania, Prime Minister Nicolae Vacaroiu took a hard-line approach to the metro strike, threatening to fire striking workers, and labeling the strike over wages and working conditions a threat to national security.
Our Bucharest correspondent cites labor leaders as saying only about 1,500 of the estimated 6,000 workers on strike have agreed to return to work. Labor leaders again issued a call for support from other labor groups, and for renewed negotiations with the government.
The chairman of Romania's Senate, Oliviu Gherman, held talks with strike leaders yesterday. Our correspondent reports that on the recommendation of Gherman, Prime Minister Vacaroiu then also held talks with the strikers.