Romanian Agric Ministry Employees Protest For 75% Pay Hike

The government approved last week an emergency ordinance repealing the article included in emergency ordinance 67/2006, which mentioned the management of non-reimbursable funds meant for the joint policy in agriculture allocated from the European Commission, as well as the funds for cofinancing and prefinancing allocated from the state budget. The article mentioned a 75% increase in salaries.

"We do not agree with the government’s decision, therefore institution employees initiated protests, through wearing white armbands. Today (Tuesday - e.n.) we will decide if we go on strike in the following days," Ministry representatives told MEDIAFAX.

According to them, employees intend to challenge the executive’s decision in court.

The salary increase was also applied for personnel on county and local levels with direct or delegated attributes in the management of community financial assistance within the Ministry of Agriculture.

The removal of the article is explained by the government through the fact that the 2008 budgets of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Economy and Finance do not include sums for the increase of salaries. The executive adds that the cancellation of the increase in pay prevents discrimination against other employees of the Ministry of Economy and Finance who perform similar tasks but do not benefit from the 75% hike.

The government also states that this year needs a prudent budget spending policy and a more cautious approach to the budget deficit, given the pressure and risks on the 2008 budget as well as the diversity of actions that require budget financing.

Early April, Romanian president Traian Basescu promulgated a legislative proposition increasing by 75% the salaries of employees within the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Economy and Finance who are working with EU funds. The increase in pay would have also been applied for personnel on county and local levels with tasks in the management of community financial assistance within the Ministry of Agriculture.

Several days after the law was published in the Official Gazette, the Ministry of Economy and Finance developed a draft emergency ordinance asking the government to cancel the salary hikes, since this increase would have taken 11.4 million lei (EUR1 = RON3.6632) out of the 2008 budget.

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