(story to be published in tomorrow's issue, March 31)
A national Conference of a federation, the federation of Petrom trade unions, which initially was expected to bring few headlines to the press, was early this week the stage of an outburst that sparked a true scandal in union life. BNS vice-president Ion Radoi, invited to the conference held in Poiana Brasov, made a surprising announcement: BNS Executive Bureau has decided to accept the merger offer made two years ago by CNSLR-"Fratia" Congress. Apparently, there is nothing wrong with the decision, which allegedly was made without any condition. Not later than on the second day, the scandal broke out, especially within BNS, as many member federations claimed they had not been consulted. Initially invited to the Saturday meeting in Predeal, these leaders were later informed by fax that the meeting was postponed. But the meeting was held as planned, and, as in the popular joke, not everyone was present and four conditions were dictated for the merger, the first being Pavel Todoran's dismissal as head of the CNSLR-"Fratia." Another condition was that CNSLR-"Fratia" denounce the electoral support accords it recently signed with PDSR and PD. The location and time of the meeting - in Predeal instead of Bucharest, on Saturday instead of Monday - raises eyebrows as to how fairly the decision was made. There is even more doubt about it since the conditions have not been made public. On the other hand, a decision with such major implications cannot be left to the discretion of the Executive Bureau, but should have been made by the Congress, or at worst, by the national Conference. This breach of statute has been pointed out by leaders of most BNS member federations. The problems arising in the way of the merger are therefore leaders' pride, as well as political factors. The two union federations in Conel that are affiliated to BNS initially were members of CNSLR-"Fratia", which they left with great hubbub. The most frequent target was Pavel Todoran, who is also in legal suits with the leaders of the Energetica Federation, which he presided over until recently. As to the political factor, what bothers some BNS federation leaders most is not involvement in politics, which, in fact, has been agreed by the confederation's Congress late last year. The Congress has okayed the accord between CNSLR-"Fratia" and PD, a party that BNS backed before the 1996 elections, which today is at open war with ever more federation leaders - in Conel, the railways, etc. According to the resolution of BNS Congress, the parties leaders of this confederation can join are: PDSR, ApR, PSDR and PS-Mohora. CNSLR-"Fratia" has been, over time, an organisation that has backed PDSR, and at one point even was an incubator of leaders for this party (see Miron Mitrea). In the electoral year 2000, leaders of this confederation apparently have decided to play with both hands, and signed a deal with PD as a preventive measure. But what could be the aim of such a merger, which threatens to turn into a break-up, following the threats of federation leaders from everywhere to leave the confederation if the "great unification" takes place? Just as two years ago when it made the first offer, today the reason for CNSLR-"Fratia" seems to be to (re)gain some powerful federations under BNS wing. This would procure CNSLR-"Fratia" a bigger mass for political manoeuvre, from the vital sectors of the economy. In its turn, BNS is short of money or patrimony, because when the pie was split in 1990, it had not been founded yet; the congress would only be held a year later. Immediately after the revolution, the former UGSR patrimony was split equally between the three confederations that existed to that date: CNSLR, "Fratia" and Cartel Alfa, led by Victor Ciorbea, Miron Mitrea and Bogdan Hossu. When BNS was established, there was precious little left to split. Later, most of the patrimony (over 60%) was concentrated by the new confederation, resulted from the merger between CNSLR and "Fratia". When another confederation separated from the latter, called CSDR, it took almost nothing from the patrimony with it. The first merger, therefore, had a precise goal - concentration of patrimony - which was attained. But it remains to be seen whether the new and hypothetical union between BNS and CNSLR-"Fratia" will reach more than BNS's own goal, that of managing the patrimony. The question is whether strong federations in BNS, targeted by CNSLR-"Fratia", will be invited to the wedding.
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