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Romanian Unionists Dismiss Rumors On Salary Freezing

Romania’s Finance Ministry has never considered freezing salaries in the public sector and talks on the matter concerned a 5% hike of the salary fund, similar to the estimated inflation rate, trade union officials said Tuesday.
Romanian Unionists Dismiss Rumors On Salary Freezing
27 ian. 2009, 18:41, English

“We haven’t talked for a minute about freezing the salaries. I don’t quite know why, but lately we are thrown certain themes on the table, while others carry serious discussion on how the budget will look like and what decisions are to be made elsewhere, and we just sit and debate some messages we hear,” said Dumitru Costin, president of the National Union Bloc, or BNS.
 
Romanian unionists, together with officials of the Finance Ministry and employers’ associations on Tuesday held a new round of talks on the 2009 draft budget and on potential measures to counter the economic downturn.
 
Costin said ministry officials and the social partners did not have a chance to discuss salaries yet, dismissing earlier rumors about a government plan to freeze salaries in the public sector for six months.
 
“The only subject we’ve discussed regards the salary fund in the public sector, which might see a 5% increase, similar to the inflation estimated for this year,” Costin said.
 
The Romanian authorities plan to propose the social partners moratorium on wages and pensions for a limited period, but the document is still being analyzed and has not yet been approved by the ruling coalition, government sources said Tuesday.
 
President Traian Basescu said on public radio that he will not react negatively if the government reaches an agreement with unions to freeze salaries and pensions for six months to use public money to salvage the economy.