June 8, 2023
A roundup of local and international news
Newsroom, 08.06.2023, 13:55
Memorandum – The Romanian government adopts, today, a memorandum regarding the salary increases granted to the education staff through the new salary law. In this way the government claims it guarantees that this area will be a priority. The decision was made amid discussions with the education unions, in the context of the all-out strike in the education system launched on May 22. The Liberal Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă has given assurances that the basic salary of the beginner teacher will be set at the level of the gross average salary in Romania, as demanded by the trade unionists. The memorandum also establishes the right of the education staff to a leave allowance calculated according to the basic salary as well as to increments. Meanwhile, the teachers continue their strike, dissatisfied with the offer made by the Government to resolve their claims.
Protests – Trade unionists from the “Sanitary Solidarity” Federation are organizing, today, a protest rally and march in Bucharest. They draw attention to the fact that orderlies, caregivers and stretcher bearers are the only category in the entire public system that does not benefit from the basic salaries provided for in the 2022 Salary Law. A protest is organized, in Bucharest, in front of the Representation of the European Commission, also by the policemen from penitentiaries and the military reservists. The Federation of Trade Unions from the National Administration of Penitentiaries believes that Brussels is interfering in the countrys domestic policy regarding the modification of the law on military pensions and that the representatives of the European Commission are allegedly blackmailing Romania’s Parliament to adopt the law on military pensions in the form they wanted, otherwise Romania will no longer receive European funds worth approximately 1.4 billion Euros.
Statistics — Romania reported an economic growth rate of 2.3% in the first quarter of this year, compared to the similar period of 2022, according to provisional data published today by the National Institute of Statistics. Thus, the estimated Gross Domestic Product was over 312 billion lei (about 62 billion Euros). Among others, wholesale and retail trade, motor vehicle and motorcycle repair, transport and storage, as well as constructions contributed to the increase in the GDP. The World Bank estimates that Romania’s Gross Domestic Product will register, this year, a growth of 2.6%. The IMF has revised significantly downward the estimates regarding the growth of the Romanian economy in 2023, from 3.1 to 2.4%.
Defense – The Commander of the U.S. European Command, General Christopher G. Cavoli, and the Romanian Chief of Defense Staff, General Daniel Petrescu, are the hosts of the Central European Chiefs of Defense Conference, on Thursday and Friday, in Bucharest. The chiefs of defense from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary are participating in the meeting. Nine military leaders of the US National Guard are also present, the Romanian Defense Ministry reports. The event includes topics on security challenges and aims to intensify military cooperation relations to ensure stability in the region.
UNITER – The UNITER (Theaters’ Union in Romania) Awards Gala will be organized on June 12, in Timisoara (west), the European Capital of Culture this year. The event has already opened to the public, so that spectators can participate in the plays nominated in the Best Show category, alongside stars of the Romanian theater. The gala will be organized as a show, inspired by the fashion of the 1930s. Among the nominated artists this year are actors Victor Rebengiuc, Claudiu Bleonţ and directors Silviu Purcărete, Declan Donnellan and Radu Afrim. (LS)
