Unions: Salaries likely to get back to last year's level in four years' time

The salary law will be fully amended, with 2009 standard pay being discounted, 2010 revised-down salaries used as benchmark instead, and a special law going to be issued annually in order to set the salary level, Mediafax reports. This means, the level of last year's salaries could be reached in four years at the soonest, unionists claim. The president of the National Trade Union Bloc (BNS), Dumitru Costin, after Victoria Palace talks with the PM Friday, said law 330 "will become history, as it will be replaced in September." Costin said the new law will no longer use 2009 salaries as standard, but this year's 25 per cent-cut-down salary incomes instead.

The BNS leader said the premier had talked with union delegates about salaries likely to go up 10-15 per cent in 2011, for low-income earners mostly, adding that as of now, one-third of Romania's active population, 1.5 M employees namely, earn the minimum salary in the economy.

According to Costin, given the salary law going to be completely amended and matched by a special law on a yearly basis, the time interval for this salary law will be extended to 15-20 years for which each employee in Romania.

Further more, "Cartel Alfa" President Bogdan Hossu said that the new salary law will again apply the 1/15 minimum/maximum salary law in the public sector. Referring to the minimum salary issue, Hossu said the PM proposed it equalled RON 640, whereas unions demanded it stand at RON 700. The "Cartel Alfa" union leader also stated the "fully amended" blanket salary law calls for Parliament to again vote on it and the PM too to assume it. Union delegates said that today they were to receive from government the draft of the new salary law, with consequent talks to be held on the matter at hand.

Labour Minister Mihai Seitan, in Targoviste said last week the minimum salary target ranges between RON 600 and 700, with relevant negotiations being underway between unions, employer associations and government.

The minister also said public employee salaries will go up by more than 10 per cent next year, yet, the 13th salary and holiday bonuses are out. He also stated that current calculations show salaries might go up by circa 5 per cent in 2011, unless staff layoffs were the case.

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