Tuesday, October 24th

Romanian miners on hunger strike

Some 40 miners are on hunger strike while picketing the headquarters of Oltenia Energy Complex in the Romanian southern town of Târgu Jiu on Tuesday. The protesters, members of the Oltenia Mining Energy Trade Union are angered by the results of their talks with company managers as they claim that issues such as a pay rise and benefits remained unsolved. Similar protests were reported in February 2016 when 18 trade unionists of Oltenia Energy Complex went on hunger strike for similar demands.

Dismissals announced

Romanian Transport Minister Felix Stroe said he would replace the head of the Romanian Railways (CFR). The announcement early on Tuesday came after a train on route to the Romanian western town of Deva reached the destination some 50 hours late. The dismissal of CFR chief Marius Chiper came after Minister Stroe replaced on Monday two other CFR executives: Laurenţiu Maraloi, head of Bucharest Regional Railways, and the Bucharest North Railway Station chief Mihai Cândea. However, Mr. Chiper presented his resignation earlier in the day for „personal reasons”.

New celebrations ahead of Romania’s Armed Forces Day

Romania’s army is celebrating its anniversary on October 25. But a number of festivities already marked the event. Such events included on Tuesday a ceremony at the All-Time Soldier Memorial in the Romanian Transylvanian town of Sibiu followed by the openine of two exhibitions: an exibition of military technic, guns, gun systems and ammunition, and an exhibition of photographs and documentaries. It was on October 25, 1944 when the Romanian Army ended the liberation of north-western Transylvania from foreign ruling. However, the Romania’s final liberation from the Nazis came only after the hard fighting between August 23 and October 25, 1944 with losses of nearly 58,000 people. Soviet authors and the 1952 Constitution of Romania referred to the events of 1944 as the „liberation of Romania by the glorious Soviet Army”. But most Romanian and Western sources use the term „Soviet occupation of Romania,” some applying it to the whole period from 1944 to 1958.

Alexandru Danga, RADOR