Over One Thousand Romanian Military Retirees Protest In Bucharest

Laid off Military Staff Union representatives will submit an "Ultimatum" at the Interior Ministry, the Defense Ministry, the Romanian Intelligence Service and the Presidential Palace, calling on authorities to observe court rulings and suspend the recalculation of military pensions. Unionists also call on the Government to renounce the decision to collect a 5.5% tax on pensions higher than 740 lei (EUR1=RON4.2651).

According to the document, military retirees will stage ample protests on March 1, if their demands are disregarded. Military retirees said the law recalculating pensions breaches the Constitution, which states laws do not have retroactive force.

The country's new pension law recalculates pensions taking into account the paid pension contributions. Authorities said the new law eliminates special pension systems.

Military and police retirees recently filed criminal complaints at the General Prosecution Office against Defense Minister Gabriel Oprea, Interior Minister Traian Igas and Romanian Intelligence Service chief George Maior, whom they accuse of abuse of office and discarding court rulings. Military staff and police officer unionists said their pensions were reduced by up to 60% after being recalculated. They said they submitted complaints with the Interior Ministry to determine authorities to renounce their decisions to recalculate pensions.

On January 7, the Romanian High Court of Justice ruled to suspend the application of a Government decision on recalculating the pensions of military staff, police officers and public servants with special status, who work in penitentiary administration.

The High Court of Justice's decision is definitive and upholds a decision ruled by the Cluj Court of Appeals on September 28, 2010. Requests to have the Government decision suspended were also submitted with the Bucharest Court of Appeals, which ruled in favor of the requests on December 6, 2010.

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Sunday evening the Supreme Court's ruling on military pensions must be observed and the recalculation process is suspended. The president said the Government will issue an emergency decree extending the recalculation deadline until the end of 2011.

Several hundred other military retirees are protesting across the country.

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