Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi said
Thursday debt-laden city transport company ATAC had "risked
bankruptcy but we will save it".
Raggi told councillors "we inherited a disaster; now there's
going to be a revolution".
She said the company would remain publicly owned and workers'
jobs would be safeguarded.
Raggi was speaking at a council meeting called to address
ATAC's woes.
Raggi said Wednesday that the arrangement with creditors
recently approved by ATAC will not lead to job losses or salary
cuts at the troubled city transport company.
"There won't be any cuts. The salary and employment levels
will be maintained," said Raggi, a member of the
anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S).
"We ask for the cooperation of the employees and the public
because our aim is to keep ATAC public and revive it. A public
company can be efficient and provide a quality service if
managed well".
Unions, however, have said they will stage a protest at city
hall on Thursday and hold a four-hour strike on September 12
against management solutions that "endanger employment levels,
salary rights and worker regulations".
ATAC is one of several big headaches faced by Raggi, who was
elected Rome's first woman mayor last year.
The company's problems include big debts, low satisfaction
among users about the quality of the service, frequent strikes,
high absenteeism and the poor state of many of its vehicles.
Raggi has also been beset by trash woes and appointments
probes.
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