Romanian Correctional Sys Workers To Start Protests On Jun 30

About 11,000 unionists with the National Union of Employees in Penitentiaries (SNLP), affiliated to the Federation of Unions in Public Administration Publisind, the National Union Bloc (BNS) and the Federation of Unions in the National Administration of Penitentiaries, affiliated to the Cartel Alfa confederation, will start protests as of June 30 in all units of the country’s prison system, unions said in a press release Friday.

Protests will start on June 30 with a go-slow strike, without interruptions in work, where employees will wear white armbands. Protests will continue on July 15 with a picket of the Ministry of Justice and on July 30 with a warning strike.

According to unionists, the strike will be initiated in accordance with the labor conflict law, after all legal stages have been fulfilled.

Unionists deplore the lack of interest and professionalism that led to the chronic underfinancing of the correctional system, the “degrading and humiliating working conditions" and the fact that authorities refuse to honor their obligations regarding decision making transparency and collaboration with representative union organizations.

The correctional system is in functional incapacity, said unionists, adding that 112 million lei (EUR1=RON4.2196) is needed to pay utilities, as most prisons are under the threat of blackouts and water supply cuts.

"Investments were halted and the salary rights of staff cannot be insured. Forced labor is legalized, as the overtime work chapter was removed from the budget, and the acute lack of staff was compensated through a simulated contest that failed to bring new people into the system," the unionists said.

Regarding working conditions, unionists said "the equipment and setup in the correctional system remain, in lack of an investment program, at the level of the 1960s level". Prison staff claims professional illnesses and the risk to the life and health of staff "constitute a problem that authorities ignore," and “protection is just a text in a law”.

"Decision making transparency. The Ministry of Justice and the National Penitentiary Administration promote in an opaque and compulsory manner measures that, in lack of consultations, as well as correct evaluations, are expensive quests for the taxpayer. Absolutely unfounded measures, such as the change in prison profiles, have unjustifiably increased functioning costs. Last week, eight months since the beginning of this program, the Prison Administration is trying to write an explanatory note, but notes the tripling of costs.

Normative acts, including on reorganization, are secretly promoted, and authorities systematically reject any attempt at dialogue," the press release reads.

Regarding the Collective Agreement, "authorities refuse, even though negotiations have concluded, to sign the Collective Agreement regarding the activity of public servants."

 

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