The National Federation of Electricity Trade Unions Univers, affiliated with the National Trade Union Bloc, is demanding the Government to protect the jobs of miners and energy workers at the Oltenia Energy Complex (CEO), who have been protesting for several days, with some of them even going on a hunger strike.
According to a press release from the federation, trade unionists are expressing solidarity with the 50 miners and energy workers who, on Wednesday, began a hunger strike in front of the Ministry of Energy.
'This extreme form of protest is caused by the fear of losing their jobs and by the lack of genuine social protection measures,' the electricity unionists said.
The Univers Federation states that approximately 1,500 employees, many of whom have been working for more than three years on temporary contracts, risk losing their jobs starting April 1, just ahead of the Easter holidays.
In the unionists' view, the situation is the result of the poor management of the energy transition by representatives of the Romanian state, who should ensure a just transition, in which investment in new technologies is accompanied by job protection and real support for employees.
In the context of the global energy crisis and inflationary pressures, decisions regarding the restructuring of the sector must be taken responsibly, through genuine social dialogue and measures that protect workers and the communities dependent on the industry, union leaders believe.
The National Federation of Electricity Trade Unions Univers is demanding the Government and the Ministry of Energy to urgently open dialogue with employee representatives and identify concrete solutions to avoid a major social crisis.
'European funds and technical solutions exist; what is lacking is the political will to place people and communities before bureaucracy and profit. The energy transition cannot be carried out at the expense of those who have kept - and continue to keep - the country's energy system functioning, both during the pandemic and the various crises we have gone through,' the press release reads.
The Olteania Energy Complex is one of the most important players in Romania's energy services sector and can provide around 10% of the country's electricity consumption, the trade union federation notes.
'For around 50 years, the Oltenia Energy Complex has guaranteed the safety of the National Energy System, because the wind does not blow every day, river flows fall under the scorching sun, and the sun does not always shine in the sky. By contrast, the coal from CEO can supply Romania with energy for nearly another 50 years, using only the reserves discovered so far,' the same source states.
The National Federation of Electricity Trade Unions Univers represents the interests of about 4,000 employees of Complexul Energetic Oltenia.
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