Radio România Internațional

Tag: trade unions

January 19, 2025 UPDATE

GAZA The Israeli government has nominated 33 hostages to be released by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, during the first phase of the ceasefire agreement that has taken effect. In a first phase, on Sunday, three women were released, including one of Romanian descent and one with dual Israeli and Romanian citizenship. Romania welcomes the release of the first group of hostages, including a Romanian citizen and a person of Romanian descent, President Klaus Iohannis said. ‘We thank all our partners for their support and call for a continued implementation of the agreement and for the return of the remaining hostages to their families,’ the head of state said. Israel’s minister of national security Itamar Ben-Gvir has resigned in protest of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Israeli media report. Ben-Gvir’s far-right and ultranationalist party will leave the governing coalition. After months of deadlock in the 15-month war in Gaza, a three-stage agreement was reached earlier this week. During an initial six-week ceasefire, 33 Israeli hostages held in Gaza are to be released in exchange for 1,904 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, while the Israeli army is to pull out of densely populated areas in Gaza. Some 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage during the unprecedented terrorist attack by Hamas commandos on October 7, 2023 in southern Israel. The Israeli army responded with a large-scale ground offensive followed by air strikes on Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip, an operation that resulted in more than 46,000 casualties, according to Palestinian authorities.

UNIONS Romanian trade unionists ask the politicians in power to talk directly with the people, because social tensions are high, and the powder keg could explode at any moment. This warning was issued by the Cartel Alfa federation in a statement that says political decision-makers have abandoned open communication with Romanians. The budget deficit must be corrected by improving collection, but the government refuses to take any measures outside of recipes that have proven ineffective for years, Cartel Alfa also says.

JOBS Nearly 33,000 positions are declared vacant by employers in Romania, the National Employment Agency announced. Most of them, over 20,000, are intended for unskilled applicants, another 10,000 jobs require high school, post-secondary school or vocational education, and a little over 1,900 jobs require a degree, including positions as engineers in various sectors, computer programmers, financial and accounting experts or veterinarians. Also, employers from the European Economic Area offer employment through the EURES Romania network; 100 jobs are available in Germany and Spain, and another 27in Austria, Ireland and Malta.

ECONOMY The World Bank has revised downward its outlook for the Romanian economy this year, mainly due to the fiscal consolidation measures recently announced by the government. In its latest global economic outlook report, the World Bank lowers its estimate for Romania’s economic growth rate to 2.1% this year, as against 3.8% forecast in June 2024. Also, in 2026, Romania’s GDP growth is expected to be 2.6% compared to 3.8%, as estimated in June. On the other hand, economic growth in Central Europe is expected to recover to 2.8% in 2025 and 3% in 2026, thanks to robust private demand. Export growth in Central Europe is expected to remain modest due to slow progress in the euro area. The level of investments, especially in Poland and Romania, is expected to improve, thanks to structural reforms and EU funding.

TRADE FAIR Romania takes part in the “Green Week” exhibition in Berlin, the agriculture ministry announced. Until January 26, the national stand presents samples of Romanian products registered or in the process of being registered in European quality systems, meat preparations and cheese varieties, canned vegetables and fruits, bakery products, honey and cold-pressed oils, syrups, wines and spirits. The 2024 “Green Week” event is attended by over 1,400 exhibitors from 60 countries, attracting some 300,000 visitors.

TENNIS The Romanian-Ukrainian pair Gabriela Ruse/Marta Kostiuk qualified for the quarterfinals of the women’s doubles event at the Australian Open on Sunday, after defeating Hanyu Guo (China) / Alexandra Panova (Russia) 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (10/6). Ruse and Kostiuk have played two Grand Slam women’s doubles semifinals together, one in Melbourne in 2023 and one at Roland Garros in 2024. In the quarterfinals, they will take on Su-Wei Hsieh (Taiwan) and Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia). (AMP)

19 January 2025
January 19, 2025

UNIONS Romanian trade unionists ask the politicians in power to talk directly with the people, because social tensions are high, and the powder keg could explode at any moment. This warning was issued by the Cartel Alfa federation in a statement that says political decision-makers have abandoned open communication with Romanians. The budget deficit must be corrected by improving collection, but the government refuses to take any measures outside of recipes that have proven ineffective for years, Cartel Alfa also says.

JOBS Nearly 33,000 positions are declared vacant by employers in Romania, the National Employment Agency announced. Most of them, over 20,000, are intended for unskilled applicants or primary and secondary school graduates. Another 10,000 jobs require high school, post-secondary school or vocational education. A little over 1,900 jobs require a degree, including positions as engineers in various sectors, computer programmers, financial and accounting experts or veterinarians. Also, employers from the European Economic Area offer employment through the EURES Romania network; 100 jobs are available in Germany and Spain, and another 27 in Austria, Ireland and Malta.

ECONOMY The World Bank has revised downward its outlook for the Romanian economy this year, mainly due to the fiscal consolidation measures recently announced by the government. In its latest global economic outlook report, the World Bank lowers its estimate for Romania’s economic growth rate to 2.1% this year, as against 3.8% forecast in June 2024. Also, in 2026, Romania’s GDP growth is expected to be 2.6% compared to 3.8%, as estimated in June. On the other hand, economic growth in Central Europe is expected to recover to 2.8% in 2025 and 3% in 2026, thanks to robust private demand. Export growth in Central Europe is expected to remain modest due to slow progress in the Euro area. The level of investments, especially in Poland and Romania, is expected to improve, thanks to structural reforms and EU funding.

MILITARY Hundreds of British military vehicles are on their way to Romania by ferry, in order to take part in a major NATO exercise, London announced. 2,400 British soldiers with 730 military vehicles will form the main battle group, supported by troops from five other NATO countries, with the United Kingdom assuming command of the land component. The new Allied Reaction Force (ARF) replaced the NATO Response Force (NRF) last year, and aims to respond quickly and effectively to any threat in times of peace, crisis or conflict.

MIDDLE EAST A senior Israeli official said that Israel received a list of hostages in Gaza who are to be released today by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. Israel’s national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has resigned to protest the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, Israeli media reported today. Ben-Gvir’s far-right and ultranationalist party will leave the ruling coalition. After months of deadlock in the 15-month war in Gaza, a three-stage agreement was reached earlier this week. During an initial six-week ceasefire, 33 Israeli hostages held in Gaza are to be released in exchange for 1,904 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, while the Israeli army is to pull out of densely populated areas in Gaza. Meanwhile, however, the army carried on its attacks in Gaza, where at least five people were killed.

HANDBALL The women’s handball team CS Rapid Bucharest face today at home the Danish side Odense Handbold, in the Champions League Group B. The day before, in Group A, the Romanian champions CSM Bucharest defeated the Slovenian side Krim Mercator Ljubljana 36-23, also at home. In the same group, Gloria 2018 Bistriţa-Năsăud were defeated, away from home, by the Croatian team RK Podravka Vegeta Koprivnica, 26-25. In the group standings, CSM are in 4th place, with 10 points, and Gloria are in 6th place, with 6 points.

TENNIS The Romanian-Ukrainian pair Gabriela Ruse/Marta Kostiuk qualified for the quarterfinals of the women’s doubles event at the Australian Open on Sunday, after defeating Hanyu Guo (China) / Alexandra Panova (Russia) 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (10/6). Ruse and Kostiuk have played two Grand Slam women’s doubles semifinals together, one in Melbourne in 2023 and one at Roland Garros in 2024. In the quarterfinals, they will take on Su-Wei Hsieh (Taiwan) and Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia). (AMP)

19 January 2025
January 15, 2025 UPDATE

CULTURE DAY In Romania, January 15 was National Culture Day, marking the birth date of the national poet Mihai Eminescu. This year was all the more special as it celebrated the 175th anniversary of the birth of the greatest Romanian poet of all times. Many events took place in Bucharest and throughout the country, including conferences, debates, concerts and exhibitions, and entry to many museums was free. The Bucharest National Opera celebrated National Culture Day on Wednesday evening with a gala performance celebrating Romanian culture as expressed in faith, art and identity. The “Luceafărul” exhibition was opened at the Bruckenthal National Museum in Sibiu, the Lyric Theatre in Iași scheduled a special performance, while an exhibition called “Past, Present and Future” was opened at the Corvin Castle. On National Culture Day, the Radio Romania Culture channel invited a teenager from Vâlcea (south) to the theatre for the first time. With this symbolic gesture, the only national radio station dedicated exclusively to the arts calls on people and institutions to facilitate access to culture for their peers.

PROTEST The ‘CulturMedia’ National Federation of Culture and Press Trade Unions protested on Wednesday, on National Culture Day, wearing white armbands, to warn against the underfunding of the culture sector and the salary inequities to which employees of museums, libraries and cultural centers are subjected. The Federation demands that 1% of GDP be earmarked for Culture, that the salaries of museum and public library employees be brought in line with the education payment scheme, the elimination of the huge salary disparities between employees of performing arts institutions and employees of public museums and libraries, bonuses for work carried out on weekends and public holidays, as well as the payment of overtime. The unionists also demand that hiring be resumed, to counter the chronic personnel shortage in cultural institutions.

BUDGET The VAT will not be increased, Romania’s PM Marcel Ciolacu promised, after talks on the 2025 state budget bill with the finance minister, Tánczos Barna, and with the head of the national tax administration agency, ANAF. Ciolacu added the tax reform is expected to help bring down the inflation rate and increase people’s spending power. PM Marcel Ciolacu reiterated that the 2025 state budget bill will be passed by the government by the end of this month and will subsequently be sent to Parliament, for review and endorsement in the first week of the legislative session due to begin in February. He also said that the 7% deficit target agreed with the European Commission will be maintained, as will the target of 7% of GDP for investments. The PM also said that last year state revenues went up by 27%, and this year a roughly 30% increase is expected. The main indicators for the 2025 budget will be presented at Thursday’s government meeting. Also on Thursday, the Cabinet is to approve the presidential election timetable.

INTERESTS The Board of Directors of the National Bank of Romania has decided to keep the key interest rate at 6.5% per annum. Also, the lending facility interest rate stays at 7.50% per annum, the deposit facility interest rate at 5.50% per annum, and the minimum reserve requirements for banks’ national and foreign currency liabilities will also stay unchanged. Last year, the central bank lowered the key interest rate twice, in July, from 7% per annum to 6.75% per annum, and in August to 6.5% per annum. The key interest rate had not been changed since January 2023. According to the bank, the annual inflation rate rose in the last three months of 2024 more than expected, to 5.14% in December, from 4.62% in September. The National Bank estimates the inflation rate will decrease in the first quarter of 2025, but slower than previously expected. Significant uncertainties and risks related to inflation arise from the future tax and revenue policy, given the implementation of the set of tax and budget related measures recently approved by the Government for the purpose of fiscal consolidation, but also from the situation on the labor market and the wage dynamics in the economy. At the same time, significant uncertainties continue to be linked to the evolution of energy and food prices, as well as to future developments in the crude oil market, amid geopolitical tensions, central bank experts argue.

ELECTION The MP Emanuel Ungureanu (Save Romania Union) has filed a criminal complaint with the Prosecutor General’s Office against Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and the head of the Timiş County Council, Alfred Simonis. Ungureanu said the complaint was related to the the two officials’ TikTok chat about redirecting votes from the Social Democratic party to the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians candidate George Simion in last year’s presidential elections. He accused Ciolacu and Simonis of corrupting voters and misusing influence and authority to obtain undue benefits, as well as preventing the exercise of electoral rights. Emanuel Ungureanu called on prosecutors to question the heads of Social Democratic Party branches and to conduct computer searches to see if the call to direct votes to George Simion and Călin Georgescu circulated on the Social Democrats’ WhatsApp groups. (AMP)

15 January 2025
May 12, 2024 UPDATE

Visit – The European commissioner for agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, will visit Romania on Monday and Tuesday. According to the European Commission, he has scheduled meetings with the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and the Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, after which he will have a dialogue with farmers’ associations and with representatives of the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Bucharest. A visit to the port of Constanţa (on the Black Sea Coast), where most of the exports of grain and agricultural products from Ukraine take place, is also planned. According to the European Commissioner, Romania made exceptional efforts to provide vital aid to Ukraine’s economy during its deepest crisis, facilitating the largest alternative export route for grain and other goods outside the Black Sea corridor. We remind you that the EC has recently approved a state aid scheme for Romania worth 126 million Euros, to support the necessary investments in those ports facing increased commercial flows.

Protest – On Monday, the National Trade Union Bloc, together with the 29 affiliated federations, organizes a rally in front of the Romanian Government headquarters in Bucharest, followed by a protest march to the Ministries of Economy, Labor and Finance. The trade unionists demand a reform of the tax system with the aim of reducing inequalities and combating poverty. According to the Trade Union Bloc, Romania currently has one of the highest tax burdens on labor costs in the EU: almost 43%, compared to the European average of around 39%. Also, the Bloc states, Romania is the only country in the world where the contributions of the business environment to the social security system have been shifted to the responsibility of employees since 2018, so that contributions to health and pensions have doubled for employees, while for employers were reduced to zero. And according to Eurostat, the low wages and the high taxation made Romania register the third lowest employment rate in 2023, after Italy and Greece. Only 69% of Romanians aged between 20 and 64 work, which means that almost a third of Romanians do not work, shows the National Trade Union Bloc.

Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu moved into the last 16 of the Italian Open by defeating Belgian Elise Mertens, the No 27 seed, 6-2, 6-0 at the Foro Italico in Rome on Sunday. This was the fifth meeting between Begu and Mertens. The Romanian won her second consecutive victory, after the Belgian won the first three matches. On Saturday, Sorana Cîrstea qualified for the round of 16 in Rome, after beating Czech Marketa Vondrousova, no. 6 seed, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3. Also in the third round of the tournament, Jaqueline Cristian was defeated by Coco Gauff (USA), world number three, 6-1, 0-6, 6-3, on Saturday evening. The Italian competition founded in 1930 was won three times by Romanian athletes: Ilie Năstase, the 1970 and 1973 editions, and Simona Halep the 2020 edition.

Birth rate – The Romanian Ministry of the Family has put up for public debate until May 20, a bill to modify the National Program for the Support of Couples and Single Persons in order to increase the birth rate. One of the proposals is that only one member of the couple should be a Romanian citizen, as, currently, it is necessary that both partners have Romanian citizenship, and another proposal is that the registration documents can be submitted in electronic format. According to official data, 9,300 contracts were signed last year, 2,200 pregnancies were confirmed and 156 children were born. The support offered by the Romanian state is 15,000 lei (about 3 thousand Euros).

Epidemic – The Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, stated that there is still an epidemic of measles in Romania, and the disease is reported mainly in counties with a low degree of vaccination coverage. He encourages parents to immunize their children because measles is an infectious disease that is easily transmitted. According to the health ministry, vaccination coverage with the first dose at the national level is 78%, and 62% with the second dose.

Gaza – Israel should not launch an offensive on the city of Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, in the absence of a clear plan to protect the population – said, on Sunday, the head of British diplomacy, David Cameron. We haven’t seen such a plan, that’s why we don’t support an offensive in Rafah, Cameron added. In turn, the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, launched a call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, for the release of hostages held by the Islamist movement Hamas and for an increase in aid for the Palestinian enclave under Israeli siege. Earlier, France also urged Israel to end without delay its military operation in Rafah, where about 1.4 million Palestinians live, most of them displaced by the war. The conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out after the October 7 terrorist attack, when Palestinian militants entered Israel and killed at least 1,170 people, and around 250 were taken hostage and taken to Gaza. The Israeli army retaliated, its military actions resulting, so far, in over 35,000 dead and almost 79,000 wounded in the Gaza Strip. (LS)

12 May 2024
May 12, 2024

Visit – The European commissioner for agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, will visit Romania on Monday and Tuesday. According to the European Commission, he has scheduled meetings with the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and the Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, after which he will have a dialogue with farmers’ associations and with representatives of the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Bucharest. A visit to the port of Constanţa (on the Black Sea Coast), where most of the exports of grain and agricultural products from Ukraine take place, is also planned. According to the European Commissioner, Romania made exceptional efforts to provide vital aid to Ukraine’s economy during its deepest crisis, facilitating the largest alternative export route for grain and other goods outside the Black Sea corridor. We remind you that the EC has recently approved a state aid scheme for Romania worth 126 million Euros, to support the necessary investments in those ports facing increased commercial flows.

Protest – On Monday, the National Trade Union Bloc, together with the 29 affiliated federations, organizes a rally in front of the Romanian Government headquarters in Bucharest, followed by a protest march to the Ministries of Economy, Labor and Finance. The trade unionists demand a reform of the tax system with the aim of reducing inequalities and combating poverty. According to the Trade Union Bloc, Romania currently has one of the highest tax burdens on labor costs in the EU: almost 43%, compared to the European average of around 39%. Also, the Bloc states, Romania is the only country in the world where the contributions of the business environment to the social security system have been shifted to the responsibility of employees since 2018, so that contributions to health and pensions have doubled for employees, while for employers were reduced to zero. And according to Eurostat, the low wages and the high taxation made Romania register the third lowest employment rate in 2023, after Italy and Greece. Only 69% of Romanians aged between 20 and 64 work, which means that almost a third of Romanians do not work, shows the National Trade Union Bloc.

Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea (34 years old, 32 WTA) qualified, on Saturday, in the round of 16 of the WTA 1,000 tournament in Rome, with total prizes up for grabs worth around 5 million Euros, after defeating the Czech Marketa Vondrousova, 6^th seed, with the score 7-6 (7/1), 6-3. In the round of 16, Cîrstea will face the American Madison Keys. Also in the third round of the tournament, Jaqueline Cristian (25 years old, 68 WTA) was defeated by Coco Gauff (USA), world number three, 6-1, 0-6, 6-3, on Saturday evening. Romania is also represented in Rome by Irina Begu (161 WTA), who meets, today, in the third round, the Belgian Elise Mertens (seed no. 27). The Italian competition founded in 1930 was won three times by Romanian athletes: Ilie Năstase, the 1970 and 1973 editions, and Simona Halep the 2020 edition.

Birth rate – The Romanian Ministry of the Family has put up for public debate until May 20, a bill to modify the National Program for the Support of Couples and Single Persons in order to increase the birth rate. One of the proposals is that only one member of the couple should be a Romanian citizen, as, currently, it is necessary that both partners have Romanian citizenship, and another proposal is that the registration documents can be submitted in electronic format. According to official data, 9,300 contracts were signed last year, 2,200 pregnancies were confirmed and 156 children were born. The support offered by the Romanian state is 15,000 lei (about 3 thousand Euros).

Epidemic – The Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, stated that there is still an epidemic of measles in Romania, and the disease is reported mainly in counties with a low degree of vaccination coverage. He encourages parents to immunize their children because measles is an infectious disease that is easily transmitted. According to the health ministry, vaccination coverage with the first dose at the national level is 78%, and 62% with the second dose.

Gaza – The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, on Sunday launched a call for an “immediate” ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, for the release of hostages and for an increase in aid for the Palestinian enclave under Israeli siege, AFP reports. Previously, he had warned of a “colossal humanitarian catastrophe” in the event of a large-scale Israeli assault on Rafah, a city in the south of the Gaza Strip. On Saturday, US President Joe Biden estimated that a ceasefire is possible “tomorrow” in the war between Israel and Hamas, if the Palestinian group releases the hostages. Meanwhile, Israel carried out airstrikes in several areas of the Gaza Strip after issuing new mass evacuation orders for the Palestinians there. Israel says that the city of Rafah, where it continued its bombing last night, is the last stronghold of the Hamas group. Tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees have already left the city out of the more than one million who took refuge in Rafah, fleeing other war-torn areas. (LS)

12 May 2024
February 6, 2024 UPDATE

MOLDOVA Romania will continue to support the Republic of Moldova in its EU accession negotiations, PM Marcel Ciolacu said in a meeting with Moldovas new foreign minister Mihai Popşoi. The latter also had talks in Bucharest with his Romanian counterpart Luminiţa Odobescu, as part of his first foreign visit since taking over the office. The agenda of the talks included, apart from Moldovas EU accession, topics related to energy interconnection and security. “Moldovas reform efforts are visible and appreciated. The authorities in Chişinău proved courage and political determination in tackling reforms in critical areas for the EU integration,” Odobescu said. The Moldovan foreign minister promised the two countries will preserve an active relationship. “The past 2 years were a major challenge for Moldova, but also an opportunity for a positive transformation, towards EU integration. In this process, we benefited from massive assistance from Romania in the development, modernisation and resilience of our state. We appreciate this strong and steady support,” Popsoi added.

HEALTH Healthcare trade unions have been promised a 15% salary increase, which will add to the 5% increase applied to public sector employees at the start of the year. After extensive negotiations with Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, the leaders of the Sanitas Federation said salaries will increase in two stages, in March and June, although it is unclear which categories of personnel will benefit from the increase and when. Talks with the authorities will continue, trade unions say. Representatives of the Sanitary Solidarity Federation are disgruntled with the governments latest counteroffer, the Federation leader Viorel Rotilă argues, adding that the increase will only affect base salaries, meaning health workers salaries, which also include bonuses, are expected to increase by a little over 14%. Protest actions will thus continue, Viorel Rotilă went on to say.

MILITARY Reintroducing compulsory military service is out of the question, but the defence ministry is interested in regulating voluntary military service, the defence minister Angel Tîlvăr told a television station. He said the Romanian Army has seen its forces reduced from 320,000 to 80,000 troops. Tîlvăr emphasised that there are no risks of Romania going to war. Meanwhile, MPs in the defence, public order and national security committees discussed with Tîlvăr on Tuesday about the security situation at the Black Sea. Special attention was paid to the need to bring the Army procurement programmes in line with the national defence industrys needs for development and consolidation of its production facilities. Another topic was the legislation in the defence sector.

INTERNET Several Romanian lawyers warn that the national legislation must be adjusted in order to tackle online crime, and say children in particular are vulnerable. Experts say the best ways to protect from online scams are to not access links from unknown sources, not to disclose personal and banking data on unauthorised platforms and not click posts promising various immediate substantial profits. The International Safer Internet Day was marked on Tuesday in around 200 countries, at a time when more and more people are victims of cybercrime.

TENNIS Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea has advanced to the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 tournament in Abu Dhabi (UAE), offering over 920 thousand USD in total prizes. This was the first win of the year for Cîrstea (26 WTA), who ousted Caroline Garcia of France, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4. The Romanian player will next take on third-seed Maria Sakkari of Greece (9 WTA). Cîrstea leads 2-1 head-to-head, the Greek player having won the last match 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the second round at Cincinnati. (AMP, VP)

6 February 2024
May 25, 2023

DAY The Ministry of National Defence is
today staging a series of military and religious services devoted to the Heroes
Day celebrated every year on the Ascension Day in Romania. Romanian President
Klaus Iohannis together with the country’s Minister of Defence, Angel Tîvăr are going to attend a series
of ceremonies at the Heroes’ Monument near Sibiu, in central Romania, and the
president of the Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, is expected to give a
speech during the ceremony at the Heroes Graveyard in Buzau, southern Romania.
The Heroes Day will also be celebrated by Romania’s Prime Minister Nicolae
Ciuca at the Monument of the Unknown Soldier in the Carol 1st Park
in Bucharest. The Heroes Day was first observed on May 4th 1920 and
was taken over by the Romanian Parliament in 1995. It became a national day of
the Romanian people in 2003.

STRIKE Romanian teachers are carrying
on their all-out strike, after trade unions in education have turned down the
latest government offer, which they deem as insulting. Several thousand
teachers are protesting in front of the government building in Bucharest. Representatives
of the government and trade union leaders last night attended a new round of
talks which ended in a deadlock. The authorities ruled out any pay rises and bonuses
claimed by the trade unions. However, teachers were supposed to get 25 hundred
lei in two installments this year and the non-teaching staffers 1000 lei.
Marian Neacsu, the government’s Secretary General, explained the money would be
given on a special card for professional career and gave assurances that the
field of education would be a top priority in the future process of drafting
the payment law. Disgruntled with the pay and their working conditions, employees
of Romania’s education system kicked off an all-out strike on May 22. Trade
union leaders have announced their intention not to give up the protest unless
their claims are met.

EU The European Commission
Executive Vice-president, Valdis Dombrovskis on Wednesday called on the member
states to apply more effectively their plans of recovery and resilience, to
make investment and cut on spending. The European Commission has again drawn
attention to the economic situation in Romania, the only EU country for which
the procedure for excessive deficit has been activated. According to Brussels,
Romania spends more money than it has and must cut its deficit under 3% by the
next year. According to the government in Bucharest, the budget deficit is
expected to go down under 4.4% of the GDP this year and 2.9% next year. We have
more on the issue after the news.

CUP Sepsi OSK Sfantu Gheorghe won
Romania’s football cup after a 5-4 win against Universitatea Cluj in the
shootouts on Wednesday. 120 minutes into the game, the score was nil-all. The
hero of Sepsi was its goalkeeper, Roland Niczuly, a former player of the
Universitatea Cluj’s. Niczuly managed to save three shots, after Universitatea had got
the upper hand but wasted two chances. Sepsi has won the trophy for the second
time in a row. We recall that this ambitious football side from central Romania,
lost the finals of the aforementioned competition in 2020. Universitatea has
lost a Romanian Cup finals for the fifth time.

VISIT ‘A genuine war is going on in Europe at present’ the
president of the Federal Republic of Germany, Franz Walter Steinmeier said on
Thursday during the visit he is paying to Romania. The German official has
reiterated his appeal to unity in this context. During the second day of his
state visit jointly with his Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis he met
representatives of the German community in Romania. The two officials are going
to visit the National College ‘Samuel von Brukenthal’ in Sibiu with tuition in
German, a school first documented 650 years ago. The two presidents will be
attending a formal lunch offered by the incumbent mayor of Sibiu, Astrid Fodor.
The last stage of the German president’s visit in the region is going to be the
Saxon fortified church in the village of Cristian, a monument dating back to
the 13th century. Steinmeier will next visit the city of Timisoara,
in western Romania to lay a wreath of flowers at the monument dedicated to the
anti-communist revolution of 1989 in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral.

(bill)

25 May 2023
Education Employees protest in Iasi

The city of Iasi in northeastern Romania on Thursday saw the first episode in a series of protests put up by trade unionists from the countrys preuniversity education. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets and picketed for an hour the Prefects office to protest the small salaries of both the teaching and non-teaching staffers in Romanias education system.

According to organizers, that was the first protest in a nationwide series against the current level of salaries in this field of activity, which they described as gruesome. All the categories of employees in this sector from teachers to auxiliary personnel and even managers have been affected by the authorities failure to raise payment in education.

According to trade unionists the latest series of talks they held with government representatives has led to no significant results and authorities failed to implement the 25% rise, which was supposed to offset the present inflation rate.

Protesters have also denounced the authorities refusal to pay for the extra-hours worked as well as to grant the bonuses negotiated. Here is trade union leader Laviniu Lăcustă, with more on the aforementioned protest:

Laviniu Lacusta: “Unfortunately government officials failed to implement the things they promised during the talks we held with them in December, January or February. And if they continue to do so, we are very determined to have an all-out strike in May.”

In an interview to Radio Romania, Education Minister, Ligia Deca, says that the protesters are disgruntled with the present legislation. She pledges that the authorities are presently working on a new legislation that will include new provisions on the progressive payment starting from the average medium salary, a thing agreed upon with the trade unions.

Ligia Deca: “The protests announced arent against the new package of laws we are presently working on. They are against the salary scale under the present salary law. This is another discussion. The measure included in the new legislation, namely that the salary scale has the medium wages as a starting point has been welcomed by the trade unions, which have cooperated with Education Ministry experts in this respect. They presented the Labour Ministry with a new payment scheme based on this value so that people may feel motivated to embrace a career in education.”

But since government pledges can in no way compensate for the employees lack of money, we expect that protest actions like the one in Iasi to be seen all over the country, including in its capital city, Bucharest.

(bill)

3 March 2023
Protests of the teaching staff

Trade unions in the Romanian education system resumed protests, on the first week of the second semester of the school year, against a number of decisions taken by the authorities, including the one regarding the salary rise by only 4.5%. The teaching staff want to receive the base salary stipulated in a law from 2017, which provided for a 16% increase in salaries starting two years ago. Trade unionists also want 6% of the GDP to be earmarked for Education, as well as bonuses for labor conditions, the payment of extra hours and more jobs for teachers.

The unions had announced late last year a general strike on January 10, but the idea was given up due to the teachers’ holiday. The leader of the Federation of Free Trade Unions in Education, Simion Hancescu, says that the growing discontent on the part of the teaching staff is due to the authorities’ lack of reaction. Simion Hancescu: “They are unhappy with a number of things. On December 6 we submitted a list to the Government, with 163,000 signatures in support of a petition for the enforcement of Law 153 starting January 1, 2022. We got no answer to that. We protested three days in front of the Government offices. Again, there was no answer. We picketed the Government for a day, last week, and then we decided for a form of protest that involves more people. They want a general strike.

According to Marius Nistor, the head of the Spiru Haret Trade Union Federation, it is not only the teaching staff that is unhappy with the situation. Marius Nistor: “I would like to emphasize the fact that we do not talk only about the teaching staff, but about all people who work in a school, including the auxiliary and non-teaching staff, irrespective of their position in the education unit.

On the side of the authorities, Education Minister Sorin Cimpeanu says that salaries have to be a motivating factor and that it is natural for people to be upset with the fact that the law from 2017 does not apply. However, the minister calls on teachers to understand the situation, saying he is confident most of them will not abandon their students, who have already been affected by the online classes due to the pandemic. According to the official, following the pay rise operated so far, a beginner teacher has a net salary of little over 500 euros (2,597 lei) and a teacher who worked for more than 40 years has almost 900 euros (4,398 lei). There are also bonuses that can add to these salaries, Cimpeanu also said. In their turn, some of the students protested last week against a decrease in the value of certain scholarships, but the Education Ministry has not reconsidered its decision. (EE)

19 January 2022
Protests of the teaching staff

Trade unions in the Romanian education system resumed protests, on the first week of the second semester of the school year, against a number of decisions taken by the authorities, including the one regarding the salary rise by only 4.5%. The teaching staff want to receive the base salary stipulated in a law from 2017, which provided for a 16% increase in salaries starting two years ago. Trade unionists also want 6% of the GDP to be earmarked for Education, as well as bonuses for labor conditions, the payment of extra hours and more jobs for teachers.

The unions had announced late last year a general strike on January 10, but the idea was given up due to the teachers’ holiday. The leader of the Federation of Free Trade Unions in Education, Simion Hancescu, says that the growing discontent on the part of the teaching staff is due to the authorities’ lack of reaction. Simion Hancescu: “They are unhappy with a number of things. On December 6 we submitted a list to the Government, with 163,000 signatures in support of a petition for the enforcement of Law 153 starting January 1, 2022. We got no answer to that. We protested three days in front of the Government offices. Again, there was no answer. We picketed the Government for a day, last week, and then we decided for a form of protest that involves more people. They want a general strike.

According to Marius Nistor, the head of the Spiru Haret Trade Union Federation, it is not only the teaching staff that is unhappy with the situation. Marius Nistor: “I would like to emphasize the fact that we do not talk only about the teaching staff, but about all people who work in a school, including the auxiliary and non-teaching staff, irrespective of their position in the education unit.

On the side of the authorities, Education Minister Sorin Cimpeanu says that salaries have to be a motivating factor and that it is natural for people to be upset with the fact that the law from 2017 does not apply. However, the minister calls on teachers to understand the situation, saying he is confident most of them will not abandon their students, who have already been affected by the online classes due to the pandemic. According to the official, following the pay rise operated so far, a beginner teacher has a net salary of little over 500 euros (2,597 lei) and a teacher who worked for more than 40 years has almost 900 euros (4,398 lei). There are also bonuses that can add to these salaries, Cimpeanu also said. In their turn, some of the students protested last week against a decrease in the value of certain scholarships, but the Education Ministry has not reconsidered its decision. (EE)

19 January 2022
Social protests in Romania

Employees in a number of public sectors in Romania have
expressed their discontentment with the measures affecting their incomes starting
next year. Employees of the Romanian Railway Company on Monday staged a spontaneous
protest, suspending rail traffic for several hours. Thousands of people were
left stranded in train cars for hours, after 100 trains stopped in stations.
Rail employees are unhappy with the law on the status of rail employees
adopted in 2020, which has been postponed for the third time. The law provides
for a series of salary increases and additional benefits. After the
negotiations, the Ministry of Transport and trade unions in the rail sector
agreed on a salary increase of approximately 10% to be implemented starting January 1.

Also on
Monday, education trade unions staged a rally in front of the Government building,
unhappy with the underfunding in the education sector and calling for the
observance of salary rights stipulated under the law.. A work-in strike was
called in schooling units until Wednesday. The three trade federations are also
organizing a referendum whereby members must decide if they should go on an
all-out strike in January, provided the Government refuses to increase their
salaries. In turn, healthcare employees are disgruntled. The Sanitas Federation
announced a work-in strike this week, also in connection with
their salary rights. Trade union members say the current government promised to
ensure the necessary resources for health and social security workers delayed by the former government for 2021. Some 85,000 employees, particularly nurses,
orderlies, TESA staff and social workers are currently in this situation. They
are calling for base salaries and bonuses for all healthcare workers tantamount
to the salary level of 2022, and warn that the pandemic is in full swing, and
the system is getting overworked due to the scarcity of resources, the shortage
of staff and exhaustion.

In addition, the Environment Guard trade union
submitted an open letter to Klaus Iohannis, calling on the president to see
that the workers in this sector are properly remunerated, in order to avoid an
all-out strike. Trade unionists claim eco-crime is on the rise whereas
eco-criminals have diversified and improved their methods, particularly in terms
of transporting illegal waste. Last week, law enforcement unions protested
again in front of the Interior Ministry building, displeased with the Government’s
reluctance to implement the salary increases stipulated in the salary law
starting January, 2022. No fines will be handed during the protest period,
which particularly affects road traffic, where drivers frequently break the law.
Road traffic agents can only issue warnings for offenses that would have
normally required the application of large fines or the revocation of the
vehicle registration certificate and identification plates. (VP)

21 December 2021
Social protests in Romania

Employees in a number of public sectors in Romania have
expressed their discontentment with the measures affecting their incomes starting
next year. Employees of the Romanian Railway Company on Monday staged a spontaneous
protest, suspending rail traffic for several hours. Thousands of people were
left stranded in train cars for hours, after 100 trains stopped in stations.
Rail employees are unhappy with the law on the status of rail employees
adopted in 2020, which has been postponed for the third time. The law provides
for a series of salary increases and additional benefits. After the
negotiations, the Ministry of Transport and trade unions in the rail sector
agreed on a salary increase of approximately 10% to be implemented starting January 1.

Also on
Monday, education trade unions staged a rally in front of the Government building,
unhappy with the underfunding in the education sector and calling for the
observance of salary rights stipulated under the law.. A work-in strike was
called in schooling units until Wednesday. The three trade federations are also
organizing a referendum whereby members must decide if they should go on an
all-out strike in January, provided the Government refuses to increase their
salaries. In turn, healthcare employees are disgruntled. The Sanitas Federation
announced a work-in strike this week, also in connection with
their salary rights. Trade union members say the current government promised to
ensure the necessary resources for health and social security workers delayed by the former government for 2021. Some 85,000 employees, particularly nurses,
orderlies, TESA staff and social workers are currently in this situation. They
are calling for base salaries and bonuses for all healthcare workers tantamount
to the salary level of 2022, and warn that the pandemic is in full swing, and
the system is getting overworked due to the scarcity of resources, the shortage
of staff and exhaustion.

In addition, the Environment Guard trade union
submitted an open letter to Klaus Iohannis, calling on the president to see
that the workers in this sector are properly remunerated, in order to avoid an
all-out strike. Trade unionists claim eco-crime is on the rise whereas
eco-criminals have diversified and improved their methods, particularly in terms
of transporting illegal waste. Last week, law enforcement unions protested
again in front of the Interior Ministry building, displeased with the Government’s
reluctance to implement the salary increases stipulated in the salary law
starting January, 2022. No fines will be handed during the protest period,
which particularly affects road traffic, where drivers frequently break the law.
Road traffic agents can only issue warnings for offenses that would have
normally required the application of large fines or the revocation of the
vehicle registration certificate and identification plates. (VP)

21 December 2021
Omicron – testing and vaccination

Romania seems to
have overcome the fourth wave of the pandemic, although many fear the fifth is
just days away. This may be fueled by the emergence of a new strain of the
virus, Omicron, developed in south Africa and considered extremely contagious.
A TAROM aircraft will bring home the remaining Romanian citizens who were left
stranded in South Africa after several flights were cancelled. Under the EU’s
Civil Protection Mechanism, a few other dozen EU citizens will be able to board
the Romanian aircraft. Starting this week, after the National Day mini-holiday,
rapid saliva tests will be performed periodically in the case of pre-school and school children. Testing kits will be accompanied by instructions manuals,
and the procedure must be carried out in a fully sanitized environment. Pupils
will be tested either in school or at home, by parents, based on the decision
of each schooling unit.

Education trade unions have threatened to stage
protests unless testing is performed exclusively at home. Union leaders also
warn that saliva tests do not observe any health safety regulation, as they are
expected to be handled by at least three other people before reaching pupils,
given that every component is wrapped and sealed individually in a regular kit.
Education Minister, Sorin
Cîmpeanu, responded saying that testing kits reached schools broken down in
components everywhere in Europe, and that teachers can help assemble them.
Meanwhile, interest in vaccination remains low. Less than 50,000 doses of
Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson&Johnson were administered on
Sunday in Romania, of which less than 11 thousand were the first dose.
According to authorities, some 7.5 million people have completed the full
vaccination scheme, whereas 1.5 million people have taken three doses of the
vaccine.

The Chamber of Deputies in Romania will try to adopt a bill, similar
to other European states, making the so-called green COVID certificate
mandatory in workplaces. The new prime minister, Liberal Nicolae Ciucă, has
called on MPs to vote the document, whereas Health Minister, Social-Democrat
Alexandru Rafila, claims the certificate must be introduced when the infection
rate goes up for three consecutive weeks and eliminated when the infection rate
goes down. (VP)

29 November 2021
Budget and protests

After intense negotiations over the distribution of funds in the center-right governing coalition, the drafts of the two laws that will regulate Romanias public finances and economy this year — namely the state budget and the social security budget bills – have reached Parliament. The deadline for the plenary vote is the beginning of next week, with a tight schedule of debates in the specialized committees. At coalition level, it was decided that the MPs of the three political parties making up the coalition, the National Liberal Party-PNL, Save Romania Union-PLUS Alliance -USR PLUS and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR, would not table amendments and would vote on the bills in the form adopted by the executive.

Here is the Liberal leader Ludovic Orban: “Further subsequent improvements can be made after the first six months, there is still the possibility of adjusting the budget, but from my point of view the budget is built in such a way as to put in motion the engines of economic development. It is based on investments, increased absorption of European funds, and supporting the private environment through various programs. “

From the opposition, the Social Democratic Party – PSD and the ultranationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians – AUR, criticize this years budget, which they label as an austerity budget. The Social Democrats have tabled amendments required by everyday reality, as the partys first vice-president, Gabriela Firea, says: “All our colleagues across Romania have come up with several amendments, which represent the reality of the country. It’s not something against the government. We have tried to give up some that were not so pressing, just to give priority to those that are much needed in communities right now. “

In the meantime, the financial constraints for the two budgets have been nailed down in Parliament, through the ‘cap’ law, adopted on Wednesday also by the Chamber of Deputies, as a decision-making body, after passing the Senate: this year, the deficit cannot exceed 7.16% of the GDP, and personnel expenses cannot go over 9.8%. The opposition argues that these percentages will not allow the countrys development, while the ruling coalition claims that this is all Romania can afford in a pandemic year, in which investments and the economic recovery should be given a chance. Meanwhile, trade unions continue to protest budget austerity measures.

About 100 trade unionists from the Publisind Federation – affiliated to the National Trade Union Bloc, which represents 35,000 employees in many fields — protested in front of the Presidency, demanding the elimination of wage inequities in the public system, the application of the framework-law on public sector salaries and a minimum wage correlated with rising consumer prices. The unionists also protested in front of the Transport Ministry: the rail company employees demanded, among other things, investments for the modernization of the railway infrastructure and the application of the railway staff status – a law that would allow for a 30% -40% increase in salaries and better working conditions. (L.Simion)

25 February 2021
New trade union protests

Unsatisfied with the draft state budget law and the ordinances related to it, trade unions’ representatives staged protests in the capital Bucharest, in front of the Government building and the offices of the parties making up the centre-right ruling coalition, as well as in front of a number of prefect’s offices. They argue the austerity budget will prologue the economic crisis, lowering living standards and condemning citizens to poverty. ”Decent work, social justice and social dialogue” is the slogan of the trade unionists affiliated with the CNS Cartel Alfa, who, on their fifth week of protests, picketed the offices of the USR-PLUS alliance and the Government’s headquarters. Protesters are asking for decent wages, fair pensions, quality public services and the unblocking of collective bargaining.

The freezing of salaries for various categories of workers and the elimination of holiday vouchers is also a reason for discontent, as protesters fear this may affect the hospitality industry, a sector already highly affected by the restrictions imposed in the context of the sanitary crisis. Cartel Alfa’s general secretary, Petru Dandea, explains: “Romania is in the grip of an economic crisis. No austerity measures should be imposed in this context, because they only make things worse. The Government does not seem to understand that. This is our goal, to convince the ministers and the Government to come up with development policies, which we don’t have at this point.”

Representatives of Solidaritatea Sanitara Federation protested at the headquarters of the National Liberal Party, the main party of the ruling coalition, and then at the Government’s headquarters. They asked more money for the healthcare system, the observance of the legal rights and protection measures for healthcare workers, who face higher risks than they did before the pandemic and the bonuses are not the same.

The PUBLISIND Federation, affiliated with the National Trade Union Bloc, with employees from the police, public administration, social assistance, finance and financial control, also protested against measures likely to trigger a decrease in the public servants’ salaries. Trade union leader, Cosmin Andreica: “This is the seventh week of protests. We protest because the law is not enforced, because Romania is ruled through emergency ordinances. We saw, at the end of last year, that the Government issued an emergency ordinance that prevents the salary law from 2017 from taking effect, a law aimed at doing away with inequities and discrimination in the system”.

Employees with the public rail system also protested in Bucharest, unhappy with the lack of investment in rail infrastructure and the small salaries. They argued that the number of rail workers is insufficient and the railway is on the verge of collapse, due to the lack of any investment in the last 30 years. (EE)

18 February 2021