5 years since union activist's death

> THE BEGINNINGS

The TEPRO industry in Iasi is situated in the industrial part of the city, covering a surface of approximately 40 acres and having 1400 employees. The company, one of the top producers of carbon steel longitudinal welded tubes and cold molded structures in Romania, was founded in 1963 and has produced a variety of tubular products both for the internal and external markets. In 1998 TEPRO SA was bought by the Czech company Zelezarny Veseli and less than half a year later the conflict between the trade union and the employers began because the Czechs didn’t respect their agreements and their intention was not to increase the profitability of the company which at the time could sustain itself.

Testimonies of the employees claim, “The Czechs took our products and stuck the Zelezarny label on them selling them as if they had produced them. Moreover, they refused orders for certain products, recommending that potential partners sign contracts with Zelezarny Vesely. They actually wanted to occupy the international markets where TEPRO was selling its products and lead our factory into bankruptcy. Sahleanu’s death saved TEPRO but it has been 4 years since his assassination and no justice has been done for him,” stated Ioan Hariton, secretary of the ‘Virgil Sahleanu’ trade union from TEPRO Iasi, last year.

Let’s not forget that the robbing of TEPRO reached alarming dimensions especially in terms of foreign currency being taken out of the country continuously, for which the Czech owners were eventually fined by the Public Finances Board in Iasi, not to mention the fact that they placed into circulation fake treasury notes which couldn’t be approved by any bank.

> VIRGIL SAHLEANU'S ROLE

Virgil Sahleanu was born on January 9th, 1946 in the village of Cacica, in Iasi County. He was a mechanical engineer by profession, a member of the Executive Bureau of the Territorial Trade Union “Cartel Alfa” in Iasi, married, and the father of 3 children. On February 12,1999, Sahleanu was chosen president of The Free Trade Union TEPRO Iasi by the Extraordinary General Assembly of the trade union. On February 15, 1999, the Free Trade Union TEPRO Iasi started a conflict, accusing the Czech company Zelezarny Veseli of the unfair dismissal of 1200 employees and of the fraudulent privatization of SC TEPRO SA. On February 19, 1999, Virgil Sahleanu was fired by the management of SC TEPRO. After a conflict lasting almost two years (from February 1999 until September 2000), under less than favorable conditions (he had to continue his trade union activity outside the industrial unit), and with the support of the METAROM trade union, he managed to cancel the dismissal of the 1200 employees in court, and he intervened decisively to cancel the disastrous contract that transformed a profitable firm into a bankrupt one.

> THE ASSASSINATION

Things were improving, even if Sahleanu had received death threats and was at the same time being sued in three separate trials; none of this scared him because he had already approached the European Court in Strasbourg to judge these lawsuits. On the morning of September 7th 2000, Sahleanu was supposed to show up in court for the trials against him, but while exiting his home two persons stabbed him three times, killing him. After the examination, doctors stated that professionals were involved since any of the three stab wounds could have caused Sahleanu's death.

The assassination of the trade union leader roused a chain of reactions, leading to demonstrations and protests on streets of Iasi. His assassination rang a signal of alarm, both because of the horrible crime perpetrated in mob style, and because of the state's failure of responsibility in assuring the protection of free citizens, workers’ rights, and, most importantly, the correctness of the privatization process - since it is these abusive privatization practices that give rise to conflicts … either open conflicts between the trade union and the employers … or hidden conflicts between different decision-makers who hold their financial interests above everything else.

This assassination had many repercussions, especially concerning the workers’ rights and interests. Even if we’re dealing with a democratic political regime, the trade unions and especially their leaders are subjected to new pressures exerted by the employers…not the same employers as a few years ago but employers born from a wild capitalism that doesn’t care about anything except financial and strategical interests. As expressed in a broadcast on Radio Free Europe: “the murder of the trade union leader at TEPRO Iasi is represented as the obvious expression of the wild Romanian postcommunist capitalism”.

> THE ASSASSINS

The judges of the Supreme Court of Justice:
- sentenced Victor Balan – former manager of TEPRO – to 15 years in prison
- sentenced Catalin Ciubotaru – manager of the protection agency Protect Vaslui – to 17 years of detention
- sentenced Ioan Tofan and Claudiu Bahna - the assassins of the trade union leader - to 23 years in prison each
- sentenced Valentin Blanita and Gelu Alexandru Spuma – employees of the protection agency Protect - to 5 years in prison each
- sentenced the Czech investor Franmtisek Priplata to 8 years in prison; the judges acquitted him of fraud, which led to the reduction of the initial conviction of 14 years.

It has to be mentioned that according to the bill of indictment, the Czech citizen Franmtisek Priplata, as well as Victor Balan and Catalin Ciubotaru were accused of association with the aim of committing offences and incitement to the offence of first degree murder. Valentin Blanita, Nelu Viorel Varolomei and Gelu Spuma – branch chiefs of the security firm Protect - were charged with association with the aim of committing offences and complicity to the offence of first degree murder. Ioan Tofan and Claudiu Irinel Bahna were charged with first degree murder.

> THE PRESENT

Since the assassination many changes have occurred … as well as many interpretations … new accusations. Several investigations followed … handshakes between Mr. Constantinescu, Mr. Isarescu and the police … and this is how 5 years went by.

Today, the trade unionists have taken the streets again:
- “Information Services in Romania – International Tourism Agencies”
- “Citizens sleep! You can still be humiliated”
- “Dear offenders, do not panic! If you’ve been convicted, the police is going to help you live well”
- “Have you been convicted? Do you want to be free? Go to the Romanian Police now!”

These trade unionists’ slogans say a lot of things … but it is important to remember and be aware of what happened 5 years ago when fundamental human rights were ignored, and to refuse to tolerate the fact that the state authorities at the time, as well as the state authorities now, preferred to close their eyes and ignore the whole situation …