“This number came as a shock to us, especially because layoffs and salary cuts were the two major points on the restructuring plan agenda of the three railway companies. We expected that railway infrastructure rehabilitation and the alignment to European standards would be the top priority of the ministry,” Popa added. In the event that 12,000 employees are laid off, 15 percent of the trains would stop circulating, and several train stations would have to be closed, Popa added.
The decision is the result of plans announced by Prime Minister Emil Boc’s government to cut expenses for public system employees by 20 percent. Moreover, the Ministry of Economy has also announced that 18 state-owned companies will be subject to a 2009-2012 restructuring program, and that the number of persons to be laid off will be announced later.
