English
What were the electoral strategists of the Social Democrat Party counting on when they had the subway union go on strike?
Maybe they thought that they would stimulate Bucharest"s hatred towards Traian Basescu?
That a wave of enthusiasm emerging from the crowds of Bucharest would sweep their presidential candidate, Mircea Geoana, and deliver him right onto the big armchair in Cotroceni Palace?
Of course, those who have always cursed the Government when it"s raining will do so once more now.
But 2,000 of the members of the subway union are members of the PSD.
Not supporters.
Full-fledged members.
Half of the employees of the subway company are members of a political party, and that party is PSD.
What a coincidence... they are also union members.
And the union is run by a former senator.
He, too, is a member of the PSD. Of course.
It"s like Mircea Geoana would stand in the entrance to the subway and tell the people of Bucharest: "Today, you"re walking, my darlings, "coz I"ve had an argument with Basescu... You want to kick up a scandal? That"s ok, go to him, "coz he"s responsible for this!"
Is there a chance that the subway union members, be they PSD members, too, could be right in their protest?
Not a bit.
Ion Radoi, the PSD member leading them, has revealed the reason for the protest: they "deserve" a raise of 20 per cent, because their productivity has increased by 32 per cent.
Well, my productivity has gone up 400 per cent and my salary has gone down 20 per cent.
Did I not "deserve" a raise?
Where should I protest?!
In the bathroom?
Before the mirror?
To the IMF?
The subway company continues to have debts in the amount of 3.5 billion RON. That"s almost 900 million EUR.
A strike?!
A raise?!
You "deserve" ?!
The smallest net salary in the subway company is 1,500 RON. The biggest ones range between 5,000 and 6,000 RON.
Plus increments.
A janitor hired by the subway company yesterday makes two times as much as a junior teacher and one fifth more than a medical doctor during internship.
This is the current status.
But the strikers want 20 per cent more...
Of course, even they know that this is insane.
What they did not take into account is the magnitude of their rudeness, as they are (literally) tormenting their neighbours and family for no other reason than political games.
What PSD is not taking into account is the magnitude of the adversity channelled towards their candidate.
What no one is taking into account is the magnitude of the economic damages caused in Bucharest (nearly half of the GDP is generated in Bucharest) by people arriving late for work and tremendous traffic jams on the surface.
The only "benefit" of the subway strike lies in its potential to become an explanatory model of this election campaign, which is simply playing with our lives.
The subway, a symbol of cynicism.
• The Strike Continued Because There Is No Mobile Signal In The Subway
It was not before half past one yesterday that the brilliant minds of PSD realized what an electoral blunder the subway strike was.
So PSD issued a press release blaming the situation on Radu Berceanu and Traian Basescu and asking the subway union to terminate the strike immediately.
Maybe it was Marian Vanghelie who realized that the strike was a mistake.
He stated that he had not been able to reach Ion Radoi, the leader of the subway union.
"I cannot get him on the phone. I"ve been trying to reach him since half past eight this morning," Vanghelie said, and added innocently: "I think he"s probably caught up with the event... But the strike is of no benefit to us, that"s clear. On the contrary, we are paralyzing Bucharest and turning everyone against us."
Well, that kind of sincerity is rare!
This "we" is a clear indication that the strike was organised by the PSD.
So, people, stop cursing the politicians. It"s the mobile phone company you should be blaming, because their signal is poor in the subway.
F.G.
• A Solution For Salary Raises: Dividends From The Union"s Own Businesses
• Subway Union In Business With Sorin Ovidiu Vantu
The subway union controls a company, Sindomet Servcom SRL, which concluded last year with a turnover of 3.35 million RON and a profit of 714,000 RON. In turn, the trade union"s company controls Viltour SA - Busteni, a hotel company that closed 2008 with a turnover of 364,103 RON and a profit of 8,584 RON.
Normally, the number of subway union members does not exceed the number of employees in the State-run Metrorex S.A. At this time of the year, the subway union should be distributing the benefits of these private businesses to its members, who are also employees of Metrorex, instead of asking the State-run company for a raise. Especially considering that the union"s businesses have been built on commercial spaces rented from Metrorex and used by the union for retail operations.
The media last year reported that Sindomet Servcom SRL - Bucharest, a company controlled by the subway union, entered into an agreement with Monopoly Media, controlled by Sorin Ovidiu Vantu, enabling the latter to install over 600 plasma television sets in Sindomet spaces to broadcast commercials, utility information, entertainment, news and the subway schedule. Sorin Ovidiu Vantu was accused of being one a stealthy supporter of the PSD presidential candidate, Mircea Geoana.
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