Confederal Committee accepts resignation of Trade Union Confederation president Leonid Manea

The Confederal Committee accepted unanimously the resignation offered by the president of the National Confederation of Trade Unions of Moldova Leonid Manea. According to the head of the National Committee of the car and agricultural machinery building trade union Boris Babici, 27 of the 30 sector trade union heads participated in Thursday's meeting of the Committee. One of the topics discussed was the dismissal of Leonid Manea after the expiration of his legal leave. All the trade union heads voted in favor of discharging Manea and naming Oleg Budza as president of the Confederation on an interim basis, until November 5, when the National Council of Trade Unions is to hold a meeting. Three days ago, five trade union heads demanded that Leonid Manea should resign. They accused him of taking actions to the detriment of the trade union movement, establishing unhealthy relations inside the Confederation and of selling property. Persons who participated in that meeting said that Manea asked not be be discharged by the Confederation's Committee, but be allowed to work at Moldsindbalneotur Company or at the Labor Institute as vice director. On the same day, Manea filed an application, asking for legal leave, with subsequent resignation. Meanwhile, he went on sick leave. In 2001, Leonid Manea founded an alternative trade union – the Confederation of Free Trade Unions “Solidaritatea” (“Solidarity”). This trade union withdrew from the Confederation of Trade Unions, accusing the then leaders of the trade union movement of dubious financial schemes. The Confederation said yet that the new trade union movement was created with the aim of supporting the ruling Communist party. In seven years, “Solidaritatea” absorbed practically all the sector trade unions. In the end, the two trade union organizations merged. Leonid Manea remained president, while the president of the National Confederation of Trade Union Petru Chiriac became one of his deputies. When “Solidaritatea” merged in 2007, it had a membership of over 400,000 and had 28 sector trade unions. The National Confederation of Trade Unions had 300,000 members and 7 sector trade unions, including from education, healthcare and small business