The Trade Union Federation of Railway Workers of the Republic of Moldova (FSF), with the participation of the National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova (CNSM) and national and regional trade union centers, organized a mass protest today, 14 February, in the center of the capital. The main demand of the trade unionists was the payment of salary arrears accumulated between August 2024 and January 2025, amounting to some 190 million lei.

The demonstrators gathered in front of the government, parliament and the presidency, demanding a solution to the railway crisis. Similar demonstrations took place at the railway hubs of Ocnita, Balti, Ungheni, Bender, Basarabeasca and Giurgiulesti.

Ion Zaporojan, president of the Railway Workers’ Trade Union Federation, said that railway workers had resorted to protests out of desperation as their repeated appeals to the authorities had been ignored. He stressed the need for immediate measures to protect workers’ rights and to remedy the precarious economic situation of the state-owned Moldovan Railways.

For his part, Igor Zubcu, President of the CNSM, pointed out that non-payment of wages was a serious violation of workers’ rights. He proposed the creation of a national fund to support the company to ensure the payment of wage arrears and to find long-term solutions for the railway sector.

The FSF’s list of demands, contained in an official appeal to the authorities, includes the following points

1. Compliance by the state authorities with the legislation in force, including with regard to the employees of Calea Ferată din Moldova;
2. The involvement of the government in the urgent payment of salary arrears and compensation for losses caused by salary delays, in accordance with the law;
3. Raise the minimum wage in the company to 5500 lei (currently only 3500 lei, a serious violation of the law);
4. If urgent and essential measures are not taken to save and rehabilitate the railway transport of the Republic of Moldova, the majority of the approximately 4850 employees will be forced to resort to the suspension of their individual employment contracts in accordance with the provisions of Art. 78(1) (d1) of the Labour Code of the Republic of Moldova No 154/2003.

The full text of the appeal is available here.

The FSF also announced that if their demands are not met, they will organize a new protest on 28 February 2025.

The video of the protest on 14 February 2025 is available on the CNSM Facebook page.