Romanian Education Unionists Call Of General Strike Set For Nov 18

Romanian unions in the education sector said Friday they called off the general strike they planned to start on November 18, but are set to resume protests unless the country’s future government applies the law which raises teachers’ wages by 50%.

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Unionists had talks and concluded the strike needs to be postponed, Aurel Cornea, leader of the Federation of Free Unions in Education, told MEDIAFAX Friday.

Unionists added they will resume protests unless the future government applies the law raising teachers’ wages by 50% as of October 1, 2008.

"Romania’s president and political parties in Parliament, except those that make up the government, committed to apply the law immediately after general elections. There was a major risk that our planned general strike would have served as a political tool since politicians are campaigning,” Cornea said.

Romania holds parliamentary elections on November 30.

On Monday, the government annulled the decree postponing the wage hikes for April next year and issued a new decree, which overrides the old one and which stipulates average wage increases of 10%.

The Constitutional Court ruled Wednesday that the government decree postponing a 50% raise in teachers’ wages was unconstitutional, even though the government had notified the court that it had repealed the decree.

Unionists said they are confident the Constitutional Court would find something wrong with the government’s new decree.

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