Finance Minister Vladescu: No salary raises possible

Minister of Public Finance Sebastian Vladescu stated on Tuesday, referring to the protests organized in front of the ministry he heads, that no salary raises are possible.

'There are people picketing the ministry for a long time and who wish the re-introduction of technical unemployment; they will see their grievances solved on Friday. We will see what grievances are put forward by those picketing the ministry today (Tuesday- editor's note). But, certainly, salary raises are out of the question', underlined Vladescu.

The National Federation of Unions in Administration (FNSA) president, Romel Neagu, announced on Monday that the public sector employees launch on Tuesday a a two-hour warning strike. The unionists start protests over wage cuts, planned layoffs in the public sector and repeated breaches of the constitutional principles regarding collective negotiations, as well as for the local authorities' right to manage their own financial resources based on the local and financial autonomy principle.

More than 44,000 public administration employees staged a warning strike over 8.30 - 10.30 a.m.

On Feb. 9, the unionists will picket the Labor Ministry and the Ministry of Administration and Interior and, on Feb. 12, they would go on an indefinite general strike.

Agerpres