Union Leaders Responsible For March To Romanian Presidential Palace To Be Fined

Militaru said the union leaders responsible for the spontaneous march will each be fined between 1,000 and 10,000 lei (EUR1=RON4.2455) for breaching legislation on demonstrations.

Interior Minister Vasile Blaga said the police officers taking part in the protest were bound by certain rules, and that the march organizers will be held responsible.

This is the third day of protests against the Government's austerity measures. The Government has slashed public sector wages by 25% in July and plans to fire thousands of public sector workers by the end of the year.

Unionists met Thursday with the labor minister but said talks, although friendly, yielded no concrete results.

This week's demonstrations are taking place in the absence of Prime Minister Emil Boc, who is in New York City, attending the high-level plenary reunion of the United Nations General Assembly. Boc said he has authorized Labor Minister Ioan Botis to continue talks with union leaders, but argued for "level-headedness," insisting that the Government's austerity program is necessary.

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