ROMATSA GM resigns, Transport minister asks for the strike call-off. Air traffic controllers consider giving up protest

ROMATSA general manager Ion Aurel Staciu resigned on Friday, prompting the Transport minister to ask the institution’s trade union to sign the collective contract of employment and to give up the announced strike.

“Following the general manager’s resignation filed today (Friday), I ask both the trade union and the institution’s leadership to continue the negotiations for signing the collective contract of employment and particularly for giving up the general strike. Under the current circumstances, I consider this protest which is affecting the air traffic and the citizen’s comfort is useless,” Transport minister Iulian Matache argued.

Meanwhile, new rounds of negotiations were held on Saturday and Sunday, ROMATSA informing that there are circumstances of finding solutions which might lead to the general strik call-off.

The resignation of ROMATSA general manager came few hours after the he Bucharest Court ruled ROMATSA general strike as legal.

The Bucharest Court has rejected on Friday a demand of the Romanian Civil Aeronautics Authority – ROMATSA to find illegal a strike of its employees. The ruling can be challenged however.

After the pronouncement, ROMATSA trade unionists gathered in front of the court, wearing white customized T-shirts, acclaimed their lawyer when he came out of the court building.

The ROMATSA unionists have announced on Monday an all-out strike for September 1, unless authorities solve their demands by then.

On August 19, Ion Aurel Stanciu, then CEO of ROMATSA, subsequently appointed secretary of state of the Transport Ministry said that the union protests and threats with the general strike were not grounded, as 12 out of 14 their claims were settled and the authority’s leadership was further open to negotiations.

On July 15, the air traffic controllers went on a two-hour warning strike that affected 17 flights.