Ever since the first days of the year, a number of
\nprofessional and social categories in Romania took to the streets to voice
\ntheir discontent with the way the center-right coalition Government has been
\nmanaging some of the hot topics on the public agenda. Protesters are asking for
\ndecent wages, fair pensions, quality public services, fair taxes and the
\nrightful application of the legislation. Amidst heated political debates
\nregarding the 2021 state budget law, trade unions with the Sanitas Federation
\non Monday staged a rally in front of the Finance Ministry building. They are
\ndisgruntled with the low budget allocated to healthcare this year, which is
\nunfair not just due to the ongoing COVID pandemic, but it is also an immoral
\nact against Romanian citizens. Trade unions say healthcare should get 9% of the
\nGDP, as all Romanians need a public health system that can save them from
\nSARS-CoV-2, treat their chronic illnesses and ensure emergency health
\neservices. One of the protesters explained what prompted him to come to
\nBucharest all the way from Cluj.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
We are unhappy with the inequities stipulated in
\nthe Government’s budget by slashing bonuses or freezing salaries for various
\ncategories of workers. At the start of its mandate, the Government promised
\nthey wouldn’t touch the salaries of health workers or their bonuses. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Equally discontented are workers in the hospitality
\nsector. Employers in this field have called on the Government to pay the compensations
\nthey were promised last year, considering this sector reported a 70% drop in
\nits activity. They also ask the Government not to scrap holiday vouchers for
\npublic sector employees. Dragos Anastasiu, the coordinator of the Coalition for
\nRomania’s Development: <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The industry is suffering right now, and we need
\nthe support of the number one stakeholder in every company, namely the Romanian
\nstate. We find it unacceptable to make firm promises, including by introducing
\nlegislation, without keeping them.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Finally, trade unionists with the Cartel Alfa
\nNational Confederation have joined the chorus of protests against the
\nGovernment’s current economic and social policies. The unionists have been
\nstaging protests since January 14. Cartel Alfa representatives say the burden
\nof austerity measures will weigh heavy on workers and pensioners, with
\nconsiderable effects on vulnerable population categories with lower incomes.
\n(V. Palcu)<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A number of protests have been staged in Bucharest in recent days<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":88067,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37738],"tags":[32582,40184,28990,33404,29426],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-88066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-today-in-the-news","tag-cartel-alfa","tag-economic-and-social-policies","tag-protests","tag-sanitas","tag-trade-unions"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n