Romanian Govt Delays Payment Of Public Wage Rights Won In Court

The delay will be enforced through an emergency ordinance approved in the Government’s meeting on Wednesday.

According to Government spokeswoman Ioana Muntean, the salary rights will be paid in three installments: 34% in 2012, 33% in 2013 and 33% in 2014. She said the total amount is 2.163 billion lei (EUR1=RON4.1997).

Initially, the Government planned to pay the salary rights won by the end of last year in three stages between 2010 and 2012, while wage rights won through final court decisions in 2010 would be paid in 2011-2013. The new decision delays this payment by two years.

The High Council of Magistrates issued a negative opinion regarding this ordinance, arguing that the adoption of successive normative acts spreading out the payment of salary rights won by public servants in court is a breach of the beneficiaries’ right to free access to justice and of the requirement to implement these final court decisions in a timely manner.