Bulgarian Railways Plan to Strike against Cutdown

The trade unions representing workers in the Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) said Saturday they are ready to strike over proposed massive layoffs. At present 60% of BDZ staff has agreed to an effective strike, which will take place early 2011 in order not to paralyze the country for the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Railway workers said that they view proposed large-scale layoffs as unneeded and inacceptable.
Cuts in BDZ are looming as the troubled state railways are negotiating a healing loan from the World Bank.
Against the BGN 700 M loan, the World Bank expects a massive restructuring of BDZ, which also involve the firing of at least 2000 workers.
BDZ trade unionists stated that some 3200 BDZ employees have been laid off for the last two years, and that the company is already understaffed and operates on much less resources than it needs.