Romanian Finance Ministry Employees Halt Protests

Finance Minister Gheorghe Ialomitianu told ministry employees earlier that bonuses for August and September would be paid, but only after a commission of unionists and ministry officials analyzes how they are granted.

Ialomitianu said bonuses will not be paid to all ministry employees, but only to those who worked overtime and had very good results. He also said the country's unitary pay law is to be put to the vote in Parliament Tuesday, adding the law provides decent wages for all public sector employees.

Finance ministry employees have been protesting since Wednesday at noon and have spent the night in the ministry building, upset that they have not received bonuses over the past two months, besides the 25% pay cut the Government has applied this summer throughout the public sector.

Their protest has had a ripple effect and thousands of tax inspectors, public servants, social workers, postal workers, and employees of the national employment agency, pension house and city halls also broke out in protest across the country.

Romania implemented a series of austerity measures this summer, including a 25% pay cut in the public sector, to keep the budget deficit in check and make sure its EUR20 billion aid package from the International Monetary Fund and other lenders stays on track.

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