Romania's Unitary Pay Law Won't Bring Wage Cuts - State Secretary

Romania's Unitary Pay Law Won't Bring Wage Cuts - State Secretary

Restructuring Romania's public sector in 2010 will increase the wages of those that will remain in the system, adding that current wages will not be lowered after the unitary pay law is enforced, said Valentin Mocanu, state secretary with the Romania's Labor Ministry.

"In 2010, those who remain in the system will have their wages increased, after the public sector is restructured," Mocanu said Thursday, after the meeting between the Labor Ministry and the education unionists.

Mocanu pointed out that no category of state employees will have lower salaries after the last hierarchy quotients within the unitary pay law are applied, adding that everyone will benefit from a wage increase, which will be higher for those who earn low incomes.

According to him, the latest draft law that was sent on Wednesday to the unionists will be the final one, as the last calculations are now made.

The unitary wage draft law stipulates that until 2014 the minimum wage will reach half of the average wage. He said the law's target is to achieve balance in the public sector, and the last hierarchy quotients in the draft comply with this principle.

The hierarchy quotients in the draft unitary wage law for the public sector were reduced by up to 25% following an analysis by the Romanian Ministry of Finance.

The government adjusted by 40% the hierarchy quotients of the unitary pay law a month and a half ago, without consulting with the unions.

Education unions threaten to organize protests and even to go on a general strike following the latest cut in the hierarchy quotients.

mediafax.ro