Romanian Union Leaders Ask Protesters To Go Home, Return For New Rallies On October 7

President Bogdan Hossu and other leaders of Romania’s Cartel Alfa union federation asked the people protesting Friday at the Cotroceni presidential palace to go home and return here for a new round of protests on October 7, when an ample rally is organized to mark Decent Labor Day.

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Hossu told protesters they had better go home now, because some of them must go to work Friday evening and because their water and food suppliers are scarce.

Hossu also said Friday that President Traian Basescu refused to talk to unionists, deeming the protest rally illegal, and added union leaders could only talk to Gabriel Piscociu, state adviser for the relation with public authorities and civil society. Hossu stressed Basescu's conduct and indifference are simply absurd.

Bucharest Gendarmerie spokesman Marius Militaru on Friday said the union leaders who "organized and allowed" 8,000 Romanian public sector employees to march on Cotroceni Palace, on Friday, will be fined.

Militaru said the union leaders responsible for the spontaneous march will each be fined between 1,000 and 10,000 lei (EUR1=RON4.2455) for breaching legislation on demonstrations.

Interior Minister Vasile Blaga said the police officers taking part in the protest were bound by certain rules, and that the march organizers will be held responsible.

This is the third day of protests against the Government's austerity measures. The Government has slashed public sector wages by 25% in July and plans to fire thousands of public sector workers by the end of the year.

Unionists met Thursday with the labor minister but said talks, although friendly, yielded no concrete results.

This week's demonstrations are taking place in the absence of Prime Minister Emil Boc, who is in New York City, attending the high-level plenary reunion of the United Nations General Assembly. Boc said he has authorized Labor Minister Ioan Botis to continue talks with union leaders, but argued for "level-headedness," insisting that the Government's austerity program is necessary.

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