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Bucharest City Hall Unionists Call Off Strike

Bucharest city hall employees decided to call off their strike Tuesday morning, and will join the rally outside Romanian Parliament headquarters, set to take place on the day of the no-confidence motion debate, union leader Dumitru Gherdan told MEDIAFAX Tuesday.

Bucharest’s Subway Unionists Threaten To Strike In Mid-June

Bucharest’s subway unionists are threatening to stage a full-blown strike in about two weeks’ time if the Government adopts the law enforcing public sector wage cuts, union federation leader Ion Radoi said Tuesday.

Romanian Education Unionists To File Criminal Complaint Against Education Min

Romanian education union federation FSLI will file a criminal petition against Education Minister Daniel Funeriu Tuesday, claiming that he illegally replaced certain high-school graduation exam assessors, federation secretary general Liviu Pop told MEDIAFAX Tuesday.

Romanian Railway Employees Threaten To Cease Work If Affected By Wage Cuts

Employees of Romania’s railway company CFR will not go on solidarity strike, union leader Voicu Sala told MEDIAFAX Monday, adding that, should the Government draw up a normative act aimed at cutting their salaries by 25%, the company will immediately cease all activities.

Romania To Cut By 15% Benefits For People Assisting First-Degree Disability Pensioners

Romania’s Government decided to reduce by 15%, as of June, 2010, the benefits granted to people having in care pensioners with first-degree disability, and also discarded the financial aid granted to teachers for the purchase of books.

Romanians Fraudulently Receiving Invalidity Pensions Could Face Prison

Romanians who were fraudulently declared disabled in order to receive invalidity pensions and the doctors who carried out the respective medical examinations and issued unjustified invalidity certificates will be deemed offenders and might face imprisonment.

EXCLUSIVE: Romanian Man Acquitted Of Double Murder To Receive EUR490,000 In Damages

Romania must pay EUR490,000 in damages to Alexandru Diaconescu, arrested in December 2004 for the murder of two drug store clerks in Brasov, central Romania, as the man has been acquitted by three courts of law, including the Supreme Court in 2008, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX Monday.

Romania Won’t Cut Wages In State-Owned Cos By 25% – Fin Min

Wages of employees in Romania’s state-owned companies won’t be cut 25% as in the rest of the public sector, Finance Minister Sebastian Vladescu said Monday.

Romania To Introduce Pension, Healthcare Contributions For Copyright Income – Labor Min

Romania’s Labor Minister Mihai Seitan said Monday that the Ministry will draw up a draft law through which earners of copyright income will contribute to the pension, healthcare and unemployment benefit systems like all regular wage earners.

Romanian Govt To Seek Conf Vote In Parliament For Austerity Plan Next Week – House Speaker

Romania’s Government plans to seek a confidence vote in Parliament to pass its austerity plan as early as next Monday, Chamber of Deputies Speaker Roberta Anastase said Monday on Realitatea TV.

Romanian Subway Unionists To Shorten Tuesday’s Strike By Four Hours

Bucharest subway unionists’ strike, due to take place Tuesday between 4 a.m. and 4 p.m., was shortened so that subway will not operate between 4 a.m. and noon, the subway union said in a press release Monday.

Romanian Public Administration Unionists To Strike Until After No-Confidence Motion Debate

Romania’s full-blown public administration strike, started Monday by the National Public Administration Union Federation, or FNSA, will last at least until after the no-confidence motion is debated, federation leaders said Monday.

Romania Economic Sentiment Slides 7 Points To 76.4 In May

Romania’s economic sentiment index moved back 7.2 points to 76.4 points in May, the first monthly decline this year, a widely watched European Commission monthly survey showed Monday.

Romanian CFR Marfa Loses RON22.5M Contract Over Budget Debt

Romanian railway freight transporter CFR Marfa lost a contract worth 22.5 million lei (EUR1=RON4.1623), VAT excluded, for coal transport with local coal company CNH, because it had debts to the state budget.

Romanian Public Salaries Could Drop 30-50% In 2011 Without Austerity Plan – Labor Min

Romanian Labor Minister Mihai Seitan said Monday that public sector salaries could be reduced by 30-50% or more in 2011, should the Government's austerity measures not be applied.

Romanian Govt Adopts Ordinance Against Tax Evasion

Romania’s Government will introduce new measures aiming to fight tax evasion, through an emergency ordinance adopted Sunday, Prime Minister Emil Boc announced.

Romanian Govt Submits Austerity Plan To Parliament

Romania’s Parliament received Monday morning the draft laws for which the Government will seek a confidence vote, Chamber of Deputies Speaker Roberta Anastase told MEDIAFAX Monday.

Romanian State Employees On Full-Blown Strike Countrywide Monday

Hundreds of thousands of Romanian state employees, including teachers, doctors, police and public servants across the country are on full-blown strike Monday, in protest to the Government’s spending cut plan which lowers their wages by one fourth.

Bucharest’s Public Transport To Follow Regular Workday Schedule Monday

Bucharest’s public transport network will function according to a regular work day schedule on Monday and it will provide the regular number of trolleybuses, trams and buses, Bucharest public transport authority RATB spokesperson Mihai Vladarau told MEDIAFAX Sunday.

Romania’s Govt To Guarantee Loans Of Pvt Cos For Co-Financing EU-Funded Projects – PM

Romania’s Government will guarantee loans contracted by private companies for the co-financing of several projects backed from European Union funds, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Sunday.

Romanian PM Urges Teachers To Give Up Strike

Romanian teachers should not go on strike Monday, as they will not receive their wages for the duration of the strike, Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc said Sunday.

Romanian PM Calls On Prefects To Appeal Against Mayors’ Decisions To Grant Bonuses

Romanian county prefects should appeal in court against the decisions of certain local councils, which grant their employees 25% wage bonuses and thus fail to enforce the Government’s austerity measures, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Sunday.

Romanian Constitution Article 53 Justifies Austerity Measures – PM

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc said Sunday that article 53 of the Constitution was also used to justify the unpaid vacation measure adopted in 2009, whose constitutionality was confirmed by the Constitutional Court.

Romanian Teachers’ Strike Won’t Affect High-School Graduation Exam – Education Min

Romania’s Education Minister Daniel Funeriu said Sunday that the written foreign language examination for high-school graduates, scheduled for the May 31-June 4 interval, will take place according to plan in all the 1,419 exam centers across the country.

Romania Maintained Current VAT Level To Avoid Inflation Rate Increase – Ctrl Bker

Romanian Adrian Vasilescu, an adviser to the central bank governor, said Sunday that a value added tax increase from 19% to 24% would have lead to a two-figure inflation rate, making it impossible for Romania to access foreign market loans, although the country depends on foreign capital.

Romanian Care Workers’ Layoffs Increased Child Slave Traffic Into UK – Paper

Romanian child-slaves are trafficked into the United Kingdom because almost 1,500 social care workers with traffic prevention training have been replaced with untrained amateurs in Romanian crisis centers, says the online edition of the Sunday Express.

Romania Ranks Third In 2010 Eurovision Song Contest, Germany Wins Trophy

Romanian duo Paula Seling and Ovi won third place in the finals of the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest Saturday in Oslo with the song “Playing With Fire”, while German singer Lena won the contest with the song "Satellite".

Romanian Constitution Article 53 Does Not Justify Austerity Plan – Assoc

Romania’s Magistrates’ Association issued a press release Saturday, according to which pension and public sector wage cuts cannot be argued for through article 53 of the country’s Constitution, as the measures actually endanger national security.

Romanian Health Ministry To Cut 84 Management Positions In Public Health Depts

Romania’s Health Ministry has submitted for debate a draft order that will restructure public health departments by eliminating 84 coordinating deputy manager positions countrywide, says a Ministry press release issued Saturday.

Romanian Education Unionists Call On Teachers, Students To Support May 31 Strike

Romania’s "Spiru Haret" education union federation calls on teachers to protest against the intolerable state of the education system, and asks students to recognize the “legitimate” nature of the protest, says a press release issued by the federation Saturday.

Romania 2H 2009 Household Gas Tariffs At EUR7.5/GJ, Lowest In EU

Romania household gas prices fell 8.2% on the year to EUR7.5 per gigajoule in the second half of 2009, the lowest tariff in the European Union, official data showed Friday.

About 85% Of Bucharest’s Public Transport Vehicles To Function On Strike Day, June 1

Bucharest public transport unionists said Friday, after talks with mayor Sorin Oprescu, that 85% of the capital city’s public transport vehicles will function on June 1, when subway and public transport unionists decided to go on solidarity strike to protest planned wage cuts.

Romania’s Letter Of Intent To IMF No Longer Includes Shutdown Of Inefficient Hospitals

Romania’s letter of intent to the IMF, approved by the Government Wednesday, no longer stipulates that 150 of the country’s most inefficient hospitals will have their licenses revoked, and enables the Health Ministry to maintain a functioning healthcare system, within budget limits.

Romania’s Pvt Pensions Contributors Stand To Lose EUR1B By 2017 – Assoc

Romanian mandatory private pension contributors have lost EUR200 million since 2009 and will lose EUR1 billion by 2017 because the country has not adhered to the Pillar II contribution increase schedule, says a press release issued Friday by the Romanian Pension Funds' Association, or APAPR.

Romania’s Economy Might Revive In 2010 – Econ Min

Romania’s economy might revive this year if the Government manages to efficiently communicate with the other economic and social structures and if banks resume lending, Economy Minister Adriean Videanu said Friday.

Bucharest Subway, Public Transport Unionists To Go On Solidarity Strike On June 1

Romanian subway and Bucharest public transport unionists will go on strike on June 1, between 4 a.m. and 4 p.m., in solidarity with other public sector employees, but may extend the strike indefinitely in protest to planned wage cuts, subway union leader Ioan Radoi announced Friday.

Romanian Organized-Crime Prosecutors Apprehend Card Forgery Suspects

Southern Romanian prosecutors in Craiova issued 24-hour arrest warrants Thursday against 13 alleged bank card forgers, apprehended after multiple searches in southern Romanian Dolj County, Olt County and capital Bucharest, local organized crime and terrorism prosecutors told MEDIAFAX Friday.

Romania Jan-Apr Budget Deficit Widens To 2.2% Of GDP

Romania’s consolidated budget posted a deficit of 12.1 billion lei (EUR1=RON4.1523) in the first four months of 2010, wider than RON9.36 billion in the same period a year earlier, according to data published Friday by the Finance Ministry.

Romania’s Paula Seling, Ovi Qualify For 2010 Eurovision Song Contest Final

Romania’s contending duo for the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest Paula Seling and Ovi qualified for the competition final, set to take place Saturday, after the first semi-final held Thursday night at the Telenor Arena in Oslo, Norway.

Over 10,000 Ambulance Workers Join Romanian Public Sector Strike Monday

Over 10,000 workers of Romania’s ambulance services will go on full-blown strike indefinitely as of Monday, along with teachers and public administration workers in protest to the Government’s austere spending cut plan which lowers wages and pensions.