On Monday evening, Sorin Grindeanu, the Minister of Transport, stated that, although he does not know how to qualify Monday’s action by TAROM pilots, “a mass illness or a strike”, this clearly represents “a push to the maximum of this situation” . The negotiations have not ended, although they would like to resolve this situation from this very evening.
Sorin Grindeanu accuses TAROM pilots of not having respect for passengers. Archive photo
According to his statements, initially there was information that three TAROM crews who were going to go to the race could not do so, because they were “unfit to fly”, so that the situation escalated and dozens of flights were cancelled. What is inadmissible, says the Minister of Transport, is the fact that the passengers were not even informed not to show up at the airport and go through all the formalities for boarding.
“I don’t know if it’s a mass sickness right now or a strike. I believe that this tactic adopted, that of declaring 10-25 minutes, half an hour, before the start of the flight, unfit to fly, part of the crew, actually led to what happened today at the airport . And I’m going to explain myself, maybe I wasn’t very clear.
If a strike, in the true sense of the word, is announced, people stop coming to the airport, go through the filters, hand in their luggage, wait at the boarding gate and 10 minutes before they are notified that that flight is cancelled. This is pushing this situation to the max.
I want to say that I found out, I and other colleagues of mine, last night, at 1:30 in the morning. I quickly set up a team at the ministry to try to negotiate. There were three crews last night at 1:30, somewhere in the Middle East, who declared this “unfit for flight” condition that is foreseen. And throughout the day this was repeated,” said the Minister of Transport to Antena3.
The compensation will be paid by the company
For the lack of respect shown to passengers, who were put on the roads or abandoned at airports without any support, TAROM will have to pay compensation to all those affected by the cancellation of flights, stated Sorin Grindeanu.
“The company will pay the compensation. He will have to find the money, because those who lost the races and those who were and are in this situation have every right to receive compensation”, Grindeanu said.
Regarding the change in the management of the TAROM company, the minister explained that this falls under the attributions of the Board of Directors and is not within his competence.
“I do not have the right to change the management of TAROM. Those who are selected by law 109 had to make the right decisions. The Board of Directors does this. These are the rules. Tomorrow morning I hope to return to the normal schedule”, Sorin Grindeanu also said.
What salaries do pilots want?
Asked how this conflict will be concluded, Sorin Grindeanu stated that he hopes that on Tuesday morning the situation will return to normal, although the negotiations have not yet ended.
“I would like there to be understanding from everyone because this situation appeared overnight and to be overcome just as quickly, so that all possible subsequent agreements can be made quietly. Today, many acquaintances called me if their plane leaves at 06:00 for Timișoara.
This is a point in the collective labor contract signed between the company’s management and the pilots, and they have this possibility to declare themselves “unfit”. I want this conflict to end as soon as possible”, said Sorin Grindeanu, Minister of Transport, on Antena 3 CNN.
According to the same source, during the trade unionists’ negotiations with the Board of Directors on Monday, the pilots were offered a 300-500 euro salary increase, but they refused. The salary of a TAROM pilot is now around 3,000-5,000 euros per month, but he can reach, with increments and overtime, up to 7,000 euros. An increase of 1,500-2,000 euros, as requested by the employees, would be too much.
“I would have expected when there are demands like 40% wage increases. Today it started with 2000, so it’s a 40% increase… To say ahead of time: «sir, we want to enter into these negotiations!»(…) I don’t think it’s a correct approach. There have been strikes in recent months at other companies as well, but things unfolded on a certain schedule. They came face to face with the traveler, face to face those requests, entered into negotiations, these things were done, not overnight. The worst is for the people who come to the airport, they want to go for treatment, they want to go on holidays”, Grindeanu showed his indignation.
“I understand that you have demands, I understand that you want to have better wages and a right that you can negotiate with the people who run this company, but I also understand that you have to take the steps in the right way and with respect for the passengers. The fact that I adopt this attitude in which 10 minutes before the flight the company is put in a position to cancel that race, does not show respect for the passengers”, he also said.
