Social discontent in Romania
Romanian employees in two vital fields, education and health, are asking for higher salaries.
Ştefan Stoica, 24.05.2023, 14:00
The Romanian coalition government is in a fix, under double pressure, put by both the education and healthcare trade unions which are asking for significant salary increases, and by the excessive budget deficit, which is above the limit allowed in the European Union. The teachers and the non-teaching staff have been on an all-out strike since Monday, which they say could be extended for several weeks, jeopardizing the national exams. So far, the negotiations have failed. The trade unionists want the authorities to find quick solutions for increasing the salaries of all the teaching staff.
The representatives of students and parents have also had talks with the government. They support the demands of the teachers, but they are worried about the approaching end-of-year exams. The government claims that the solution is the adoption of the salary law. However, the teachers have lost patience, they say that they are tired of promises and demand the adoption of a law that should increase all salaries in the education system until the new law on public sector salaries is drafted by Parliament. The authorities should increase not only the incomes of the beginner teachers but also those of all teaching staff, the trade unionists claim.
According to Anton Hadăr, the leader of the Alma Mater National Trade Union Federation they are speaking about 260,000 people: We did not receive a satisfactory proposal. Longer-term solutions, i.e. the future salary law, are also being protracted. At this pace, I guarantee you that there will be a strike this entire week, and I think the strike will be extended, not just for a week.
Social discontent is rising dangerously in the area of healthcare too. Dissatisfied with the fact that the unitary salary law was allegedly not applied correctly, the trade unionists from the Sanitas Federation picketed the Health Ministry. A possible strike by nurses and caretakers will not affect the hospitalized patients, but it will cause the postponement of certain surgical operations.
The president of the Sanitas Federation, Leonard Bărăscu: The all-out strike does not affect the patients, I can guarantee that, because the sick will receive the best care possible, as before. The problem is that we will have to give up certain surgical operations for chronic patients, that will be canceled or postponed for a few days.
Healthcare employees want the continuation of employment in the field of Health and Social Assistance, the granting of the basic salaries in the grid to all employees, the calculation of all the increments and the hourly rate for night shifts by reference to the paid salary, the calculation of the food allowance by reference to the current minimum gross salary in Romania and the adequate funding of Health and Social Assistance institutions. On June 8, there will be a warning strike with work being interrupted for two hours, and the all-out strike is scheduled for June 15. (LS)
