BDZ and National Railway Infrastructure to dismiss hundreds of workers

Hundreds of workers are going to be dismissed from BDZ and National Railway Infrastructure because of the reduced freight revenue, which results from the financial crisis and the troubles of the steel mill Kremikovtzi.

According to Novinite, the news was announced by Petar Bunev, the Chair of the Railway Union at the Confederation of Independent Bulgarian Syndicates KNSB, in an interview for the Focus Agency, after he met with directors of the railway companies.

The Freight Department of the BDZ will be hit hardest as 13,2% of its workers are expected to be made redundant at the beginning of 2009.

The Passenger Travel division staff will be reduced by 5,6%, and the locomotive staff - by 4,9%.

According to Bunev, the most realistic scenario about the state-owned railways would involve the dismissal of 1000 workers, which include 389 vacancies, and 255 workers who are due to retire in 2009.

The rest are mostly persons who are supposed to retire in 2010, and the companies are considering how to compensate them if they are sacked.

Source: Transportweekly