Deliberations on the unified salary law
In Bucharest, discussions continue at the Ministry of Labour regarding the new unified salary law.
Daniela Budu, 28.05.2026, 13:50
At the Ministry of Labour in Bucharest, talks are underway these days with trade unions from several sectors, concerning the new law governing the remuneration of public employees. The draft was presented on Monday by the interim minister, Dragoș Pîslaru, and placed the same day under public consultation. The purpose of this reform, he stated, is to eliminate inequities within the system. On Wednesday, representatives from the health, social assistance, and cultural sectors were invited for consultations. The pace of discussions at the Ministry of Labour will be accelerated, with a final deadline set for next week. The project is a mandatory milestone within the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and must be adopted by Parliament by 1 July.
Interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said that the project should have been advanced by the Ministry of Labour much earlier, and that the authorities now find themselves under significant time pressure. He recalled that a funding tranche exceeding 770 million euros from the PNRR depends on this reformmoney that Romania risks losing if the adoption deadline is not met. In an interview with a private radio station, Ilie Bolojan noted that certain professional categories had, in the past, succeeded in obtaining bonuses or advantageous conditions that created imbalances and disparities in remuneration between institutions. Moreover, he added, the available resources for covering the salaries of public-sector employees must be taken into account.
In this context, Dragoș Pîslaru announced that he will travel next week to Brussels with a mandate from the interim prime minister to request that the European Commission freeze or stagger until 2031 the salary increases for dignitaries, as part of the PNRR renegotiation. In a post on a social network, he wrote that the reform of unified remuneration remains necessary, to bring fairness and predictability to the public system, but that dignitaries should not benefit from the largest salary increases while other categories of employees receive limited or no raises.
The draft of the new salary law for the public sector has stirred dissatisfaction among teachers, doctors, and magistrates, who argue that the current version of the document will lead to a reduction in their income. The National Union of Judicial Clerks “Dicasterial” publicly condemns the new draft law, asserting that it represents yet another direct attack on the specialised auxiliary staff of courts and prosecutor’s offices. Other professional groups have likewise criticised the draft and announced plans to picket the ministry. The Union of Parliamentary Public Servants, Contractual Staff, and Drivers of the Senate has also expressed its disagreement with the current form of the project, arguing that it fails to uphold the principles of fairness, proper hierarchy, and recognition of the true responsibilities borne by those working in the fundamental institutions of the Romanian state.
For its part, the Ministry of Defence will submit proposals and observations to the Ministry of Labour regarding the new salary law, with the objective of ensuring that the future legislation does not result in reduced income for military and civilian personnel. “I believe a salary law is needed to resolve many inequities in society, but at the same time, it will not satisfy everyone, no matter how well crafted it may be,” said the interim Deputy Prime Minister, Oana Gheorghiu. (EE)
