Railway workers protest unpaid salaries across Moldova
Railway workers are protesting in front of the Government, Parliament, and the Presidency. Similar protests are occurring at railway hubs in Ocnița, Bălți, Ungheni, Bender, Basarabeasca, and Giurgiulești.
The workers are demanding the Government’s intervention to urgently pay overdue salaries and compensate for the losses caused by payment delays.
Meanwhile, the interim director of CFM, Serghei Tomșa, acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and the challenges the company is facing, stressing that the salary issue is a top priority. He urged employees to remain united and promised that soon, details would be provided regarding when the overdue salaries would be paid.
“We are going through an extremely difficult period, and the lack of salaries for months is unacceptable for you and your families. I fully understand your frustration and dissatisfaction, and the protests in front of the Government are a natural expression of this reality,” Tomșa said, emphasizing that addressing the salary issue is a priority.
The interim director of CFM pointed out that the company’s financial difficulties resulted from past mismanagement, but the current leadership is working on concrete solutions for recovery. Among the measures being taken are:
- Accessing European support for modernizing railway infrastructure;
- Optimizing expenditures and organizational restructuring;
- Attracting investments and implementing financial mechanisms necessary to cover operational costs, including overdue salaries.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development (MIDR) also argues that the critical situation at the State Enterprise “Calea Ferată din Moldova” (CFM) is due to mismanagement over the past 10-15 years. According to the institution, the authorities have announced concrete measures to stabilize the company’s finances, stressing that paying salaries remains the number one priority.
It is important to note that the Railway Workers’ Union (FSF) is also demanding an increase in the minimum wage within the company to 5,500 lei, given that it is currently 3,500 lei. According to union representatives, the company’s 4,850 employees may be forced to suspend their individual employment contracts.
The situation at Calea Ferată din Moldova began to worsen in August 2022, when rail transit from Ukraine dropped sharply with the reopening of the Odesa port. This change led to a decrease in CFM’s revenue, resulting in increasing delays in salary payments, with employees now facing several months of arrears.
Amid financial regression and salary debts of millions of lei, CFM decided to implement a four-day working week starting in September 2024. The company justified this decision by a significant drop in freight transport volumes. In an attempt to alleviate the financial burden and partially cover the salary arrears, CFM auctioned off old wagons and spare parts throughout the past year, but these measures proved insufficient to stabilize the company’s financial situation.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
