PHOTO/VIDEO. The postmen’s strike in Satu Mare. Employees took to the streets

Dissatisfied with the way the negotiations for the Collective Labor Agreement went, the postmen took to the streets, and the trade unionists announce that they will start a general strike, all because of wages. According to those from the National Trade Union Bloc, 90% of employees, regardless of position, responsibilities or seniority, would receive, starting in April, the minimum wage for the economy.

The postmen from Satmăra took to the streets, just like their colleagues from other cities, all because of the Collective Labor Agreement. People say that all they want is to receive fair wages, which take into account the work done, and warn that those most affected by the strike, but also by the deprofessionalization of the Romanian Post Office, will be the pensioners, as well as people with low incomes, who is based on the services provided by the institution.

With salaries of 2000 lei in hand, 20 years of work, people wonder if the parliamentarians who voted their salaries and allowances, could live with this money. Moreover, one of the employees came to the protest with the salary flyer. After a month of work and years of experience, he gets 1600 lei in hand. The money doesn’t even cover his bills and food.

Even during the pandemic, people did not receive increases in danger, as happened to other employees who continued to go to work, despite the danger to which they were exposed. The money, the parcels, the official documents, all had to continue to reach the citizens who relied on the services of the Romanian Post, but no one cared about the employees, complained those who came out on the streets today.

“Not even 30 money, but we could take the disease home,” said one of the employees.

“Today, after receiving the information and when we know from the governors that the minimum wage will become 3700 lei from July 2024, we see how serious the situation is in reality. 18 thousand of the more than 21 thousand employees of the Romanian Post, i.e. a percentage of 90%, regardless of their position, regardless of their responsibilities and seniority, from July 2024 they will have the minimum wage in the economy! This is the dissatisfaction and revolt of the thousands of Romanian Post employees who triggered the labor conflict and who are going on strike starting on 04/01/2024, 00:00!
The salary claims of the employees represented in the negotiation by the Romanian Postal Workers Union – the legal representative union at the Romanian Post level, are:
– 400 lei net increase in employee salaries;
– increasing the loyalty bonus granted in installments to employees who have worked for the Romanian Post for more than a certain number of years”, say those from the National Trade Union Bloc.

The union also accuses the management of the Post Office, which it says has gone so far as to establish a “house union”.

The management of the Company responded to these demands by establishing a house union, led by the former general manager of the company and former advisor to the current general manager, together with which he signed an agreement promising the postmen salary increases which in fact the law imposes on them the month of July 2024. The postmen refused to be manipulated and are determined to strike,” the union leaders accuse.

The citizens of Sătmără who use the services of the Romanian Post are asked to show solidarity with the striking postmen.

“We ask the beneficiaries of the services provided by the Romanian Post, mainly pensioners and social categories as poor as the postmen, to be with us and to ask together with us from the management of the company and from the competent authorities, the solution as soon as possible of our requests”, the quoted source also states.