Romanian Unionists’ Protests Ended With No Incidents

National Union Bloc leader Dumitru Costin said he will tell Prime Minister Emil Boc, at the meeting set for 4 p.m., that the Government must change its attitude, adding Romania needs investments and jobs. Costin stressed he is sick and tired of hearing about the need for austerity measures, when tens of billions of euros are available for investments. He added one cannot speak about austerity in a country where there is plenty of room for investments. He also said he told Labor Minister Ioan Botis about the need to work on a program needed to create jobs.

Costin said he would meet with other fellow unionists on Thursday to decide on further protest actions in October.

Unionists submitted written statements to the ministries of Labor, Administration, Agriculture and Health.

Around 5,000 unionists gathered outside the Government building Tuesday, from where they marched past the headquarters of ministries of Economy, Labor, Interior, Health and Agriculture, in protest to austerity measures including public sector layoffs and wage cuts.

Similar protests also took place last week, most recently Friday, when thousands of police workers and prison guards demonstrated outside the Government but then left on an unsanctioned march to the presidential palace. Their action prompted the president and prime minister to renounce police protection, saying police workers had disgraced their uniform and undermined state authority, and culminated with the resignation of the country’s interior minister, Vasile Blaga, on Monday.