There are Mondays when almost 900 Metrorex employees receive net incomes of over 20,800 lei, equivalent to almost 4,000 euros. According to the subway union leader, these earnings are not basic salaries, but the result of overtime hours and work performed on weekends and legal holidays.
According to Club Feroviar, quoting statements from the leader of the Unitatea – Sindicatul Liber Metrou (USLM), Marian Artimon, in June 230 Metrorex employees received net incomes of over 4,000 euros. Metrorex has nearly 5,000 employees.
The number of employees varies from month to month
Metrorex's general manager has a net income of approximately 26,000 lei. According to a decision of the Board of Directors and the provisions of Law 296/2023, employees' incomes should not exceed 80% of this amount, approximately 20,800 lei net.
However, Marian Artimon argues that there are numerous employees who exceed this threshold because they work overtime, including on days off.
"All underground positions (dispatchers, operators, foremen, etc.). People are called to work on days off and, obviously, must be paid extra. The number of those who achieve these earnings or even higher varies from month to month," the union leader stated for Club Feroviar.
The number of employees who have exceeded this threshold has varied significantly from month to month, depending on the number of legal holidays in a particular month. According to Marian Artimon, for example, in December there were approximately 780 people in this situation, in January almost 900, in February around 200, in April approximately 800, and in June around 230.
Similar situations at CFR Călători
The union leader asserts that there are also employees at CFR Călători who earn more than the general manager, mainly due to overtime hours.
He mentions that locomotive engineers can exceed the earnings of the management because work performed on weekends and legal holidays is remunerated with substantial bonuses.
In fact, the general manager of CFR Călători, Traian Preoteasa, stated back in February 2025 that there were locomotive engineers with higher earnings than his.
The union challenges income capping
Marian Artimon believes that limiting incomes from overtime work contradicts the legislation and the provisions of the Collective Labor Agreement.
"Limiting incomes for work performed goes against current legislation. What's the point of negotiating the Collective Labor Agreement if you don't allow me to exceed that amount?" he stated.
The USLM leader also argues that the compensations of Metrorex's management and the members of the Board of Directors are lower than those granted in other state-owned companies.
The dispute arose from the application of a Board of Directors decision
Capping employees' incomes at 80% of the general manager's remuneration is provided in a decision adopted by Metrorex's Board of Directors in February.
The measure is based on the provisions of Law 296/2023, which stipulate that basic salaries, payment for overtime hours, and bonuses granted to state economic operators' staff cannot exceed 80% of the executive management's remuneration.
Implementing the decision has caused tensions in Metrorex's leadership. According to Club Feroviar, general manager Mariana Miclăuș and financial director Ioana Diaconu had an exchange of remarks because neither wanted to take responsibility for enforcing the measure to limit employees' incomes.