All But One Romanian Unions Refuse To Sign Public Sector Pay Agreement With Govt

Tariceanu said Monday that most union leaders understood dialogue is the only way in which problems could be solved, referring to the fact that, late last week, talks ended between the Government and the unions on the base principles of the public sector salary law. These principles refer to fitting the ratio between the base minimum wage on economy and the highest base salary up to the level of 1 to 15, a new hierarchy of base salaries among sectors and within the same sector, differentiated salary increases between 2009 and 2013, the enactment of the draft law within six months.

 

Based on this law, salaries will be firstly granted to public sector employees with low incomes, mainly young people.

 

The leader of the National Union Bloc, Dumitru Costin, said Tuesday he signed the principle agreement, but added there are wide discrepancies between these principles and the manner in which the salary policy was conceived for 2009.

 

Costin said upon exiting the Government building, where the meeting took place between unions, employers and the Government, that, even though he signed the agreement, he wrote on the document that there are very wide discrepancies between the Government’s will to support the single salary principles and the manner in which the salary policy was conceived for 2009.

 

"The salary police revolves around bosses, many bosses, which will receive high pay. There is no political party that would rejoice at changing the salary policy," Dumitru Costin said.

 

In his turn, Cartel Alfa union vice president Romulus Nita said he requested a postponement in agreement signing, so that he might convince all parties involved in the electoral campaign to accept it.

 

"The Prime Minister asked us to sign regardless, but in this context we cannot be sure the two large parties that will form the next Government will agree to this document," Nita said.

 

The President of CNSLR Fratia, Marius Petcu, left the meeting announcing his organization will not sign an agreement with the Executive.

 

The Federation of Free Unions in Education did not sign either, according to union President Aurel Cornea.

 

The Romanian Government Monday approved a 28% wage hike for staff in education, to be applied gradually based on existing income, Premier Calin Popescu Tariceanu said.

 

Tariceanu said the pay hike will be operated in two stages, on March 1, 2009 and September 1, 2009, respectively.

 

 “This is the best solution Romania’s budget can handle. Our decision is intended also as an invitation to dialogue for unions,” Tariceanu said.

 

He said other public sectors, such as healthcare and justice, will see similar wage increases as well.