Naples, Cub Trasporti workers criticize national unions: 'They are not informed about our working reality'

 Naples. Controversy has erupted between local workers of the Ferrovie dello Stato group and national union representatives. In a lengthy statement, they explain: "The workers of Naples, members of CUB Trasporti, were surprised to read of the meeting held on June 19th in Rome with the CEO of the FS Group and the national secretariats of Filt Cgil Fit Cisl, Uil Trasporti, Ugl, Taf Slm Fast, Confasal, and Orsa Ferrovie. The national unions praised the plan's contents, 'particularly with regard to the volume of investments and the number of planned hires,' but the same unions made no mention of the on-board staff of the sleeping and couchette carriages, who have been performing assistance duties on board the Intercity night trains for years on behalf of the Ferrovie dello Stato. Indeed, they accepted only the investment in maintenance of the intercity rolling stock as valid." This is why they argue: "We, contract workers of the InterCity Notte, believe at this point that the aforementioned National Secretariats are not very well informed about our working reality. Therefore, it is necessary to make our situation publicly known". And they continue: "The somewhat dubious behavior of the contracting unions who met the company on June 12: Rekeep Rail srl, which for its part terminated the contract in progress with the client Trenitalia SpA early due to various critical issues, in fact ends the service on September 30th. Therefore, the Client, 100% owned by the Italian State, has once again called a public tender (with public funds) with a deadline of July 1st. Since, during the meeting that took place, the unions even released a Level II draft about two and a half months from the end of the contract (after a good 18 months of contract) to have us recognize some points of the CCNL to the company Rekeep Rail srl that has never recognized us. Contractual points that, in many meetings held in this time, the same acronyms have never put down in black and white (the agreement minutes prove it). In fact, through previous press releases from Cub-Trasporti we have always distanced ourselves from the agreements that we consider wicked, signed by the signatory unions and for this reason we requested an urgent meeting with the company on 19 February 2019 to discuss the contractual points that were not respected. Even if Rekeep Rail srl did not want to recognize the CUB - Confederazione Unitaria di Base union, this will not prevent our freedom of expression through this union and also through other actions and even if we do not sit down at a table, WE will always put the rights of the workers of this "anomalous" contract first, protecting the dignity trampled underfoot over the years (from 2011 to today) and the quality of the service on board the Ferrovie dello Stato trains". And then they conclude by asking a series of questions: "Why, after all this time, was it considered "donating" a draft of a second level contract to the company, a possible competitor in the current contract, losing our contractual entitlements in these 2 years? Is it possible that the national procurement unions never became aware of the contractual shortcomings that Rekeep Rail Srl never wanted to recognize? Why are we the only ones at Cub-Trasporti fighting for the stabilization of the famous "couch riders" in the FS Group through a preparatory course, believing that these workers are railway workers rather than cleaners along the train?" Why do the trade unions that signed the contracts remember us, who are railway workers, only when we are fired (see Uil Trasport in 2012 or even the agreement stipulated in 2005 with Trenitalia and the Government)?". And then they conclude: “If we’ve all made a mistake, why don’t we start putting workers’ rights first again, instead of continuing to persevere?”