Romanian subway workers go on strike

BUCHAREST, Romania -- Trade unions within Bucharest's subway company Metrorex are staging a nine-hour general strike Tuesday (November 17th), after the transport ministry rejected their request for a 26% raise. Union representatives are demanding negotiations for a new collective labour contract, as the previous one expired at the beginning of this month. Transport Minister Radu Berceanu says he may take the Metrorex workers to court. A similar strike was pronounced illegal in 2005, when the subway protest stopped traffic during rush hour. (AP, Evenimentul Zilei, Ziua, Adevarul - 17/11/09)