Employees disgruntled with the new management imposed on national state owned airline Tarom may call a strike to register their dissatisfaction. “We are unhappy with the new managers and how they are managing the company,” said the general secretary of the Tarom Union Aurel Curdov, quoted by the local press.

Union members are currently being consulted to see if there is majority support among the membership for industrial action. Curdov said union representatives would present their demands to the management on November 12 and if they are not satisfied with the result, a strike could be called on November 14.

Quoted by local news service Agerpres, the union representative also said that Tarom employees consider the decision to appoint foreign managers before they had presented a detailed restructuring program was unjustified. Curdov also rubbished the idea that running three different types of aircraft was causing Tarom's losses. He pointed out that many airlines have a number of different aircraft in their fleets and manage to run profitable operations. The general secretary added that many of Tarom's technical staff are due for retirement in the next few years and no measures are being taken to replace them.

Two foreigners were recently named at the helm of Tarom, after Heinrich Vystoupil gave up on the position, shortly after starting. Christian Edouard Heinzmann is the new general and accountable manager, while Brit Michael Moriaty is the new Chief Financial Officer.

Heinzmann, the former president of Luxair, Luxembourg's national airline, will start in his new position on November 18, on a four-year contract. Moriaty will start on October 12 on a one year contract.

Heinzmann has 25 years of experience in the airline industry, and has implemented a restructuring strategy at Luxair. He also worked with Albanian Airlines and GMG Airlines in Bangladesh. His CV is here. Moriarty has 33 years of experience in financial management in the airline industry.

Tarom's board decided to bring in expats as no one in Romania has the relevant experience for the condition in which Tarom currently is. The two newly named managers will have to restructure the company, as well as set up a succession plan, so Tarom can hire further Romanian managers.

Tarom's new management is part of a wider program which aims at placing private sector managers in several Romanian state owned companies.

editor@romania-insider.com