The Coordination Council of the Union of Railway Workers in Bulgaria (UCB), after discussing the progress of the negotiations for the conclusion of a new collective labor agreement (CLA) at the State Enterprise National Company "Railway Infrastructure" (SE NRIC) and the current situation in the railway system, demanded the resignation of the NRIC management, the union announced, reported plovdiv24.bg.
The union members have identified a lack of desire and capabilities in the current management of SE NRIC to recognize, clearly formulate the problems and search for opportunities and ways to solve them.
According to them, the main problems on the issues subject to the CTA are:
– the large number of vacations;
– the dangerously growing average age of the operating personnel;
– permanent work in a reduced staff;
– the work of a large number of colleagues under a second employment contract for additional work with the same employer;
– the high and constantly growing share of work prohibited by law, and in the conditions of railway transport and dangerous overtime.
"As the main reason for getting into this situation, we see low wages, especially for the main operating personnel. The salary does not correspond to the complexity and responsibility of the work involved.
The wages in the SE NRIC are permanently lower and at an increasing rate of lagging behind the average gross salary (SBRZ) in the country. This leads to a constant outflow of personnel - mainly qualified and at a young age.
A consequence of the unprofessional management of the operating processes by the SE NRIC is the complicated operating situation. This situation creates conditions and prerequisites for worsening and threatening the safety of transport. A vivid example is the current situation at the Sofia railway junction and the reactions provoked by this from customers, society and the media.
We declare – we see no point in signing a collective labour agreement with the conditions and parameters offered by the employer, which would lead to a deepening of the problems and increased chaos in the system. Working without a collective labour agreement remains the responsibility of the employer.
We insist on the resignation of the company management due to incompetence and inadequate actions.
We appeal for the intervention of the principal – the Minister of Transport and Communications to find a way out of the situation that has arisen.
We apologize to those using the services of state railway carriers. We want it to be understood that the ordinary railway worker is not only not responsible for the current situation, but is the main victim – is forced to work in conditions of chaos and stress due to the unprofessional management of the State Enterprise NRIC.
We declare that together with colleagues from other unions we are moving to discussing specific protest actions with the collectives", concludes the statement of the Union of Railway Workers in Bulgaria.
In front of FACTS, NRIC employees also shared about the "complete incompetence" of the General Director of Maria Genova and her deputies, as well as about the "many delayed public procurements".