New Romanian Govt Eyes EUR500 Minimum Wage At Euro Zone Entry

In the “Labor Market” section, the government agenda states an increase of the gross minimum wage on economy so that it reaches 50% of the gross average wage on economy by the end of 2012, as well as the achievement of a gross minimum wage of EUR500 when Romania adopts the euro.

 

At the same time, the agenda mentions an increase of the nominal gross average wage on economy by some 60% before 2012.

 

Government agenda objectives connected to the labor market include the improvement of access to the labor market for disfavored groups, the development of the inclusive labor market and active aging, which would be achieved through the increase of employment degree from the current 59% to at least 65% in 2012, participation in continuous professional training from 2% to 7% of the population aged between 25 and 64, through the creation of sector committees, as well as through the development of a single salary system for public servants and public sector contract staff that would be based on salary differentiation and correlation between public sector positions and areas of activity.

 

At the same time, in pursuit of this objective the aim will be to balance the labor market and reduce labor force deficits by sectors, to efficiently absorb European financial resources meant for the development of human resources, which would help provide professional and occupational training support, and would also simplify the worker hiring and firing procedures, in parallel with job security measures.

 

The agenda also mentions the reorganization of the employment agencies, bringing them to rural areas, as well as the restructuring of public service professional training centers.

 

Another goal is the encouragement of employer-employee dialogue in rendering the working hours more flexible, in facilitating occupational, professional and geographic mobility, the stimulation through fiscal measures of employees’ involvement in continuous professional training, as well as the provision of professional training services for people in rural areas and within vulnerable groups.

 

As for social security, the main governing objectives target the sustainability of the public pension system with the maintaining of the pension point at 45% of the gross average salary on economy, the removal of inequities and anomalies occurring in the public pension system, the introduction of the minimal guaranteed social pension as well as the stimulation of savings through privately managed voluntary pensions.