Romanian Union Leaders Meet Fin Min Thursday To Discuss Spending Cuts

Cartel Alfa union leader Bogdan Hossu told MEDIAFAX the minister invited unions to a meeting to analyze the spending cut measures that sparked the country’s biggest demonstration rally in 19 years on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Emil Boc said Wednesday during the Cabinet meeting the Government will seek a confidence vote in Parliament to adopt the drafting spending cuts it has announced.

Romania has pledged to drastically cut public spending to tighten the country’s budget deficit at 6.8% of GDP, in order for the International Monetary Fund and other international institutions to release a new installment of a EUR20 billion rescue loan agreed last year. The austerity plan entails public sector wage cuts by one quarter and pension and social welfare cuts of 15%.

Bolojan: Întărirea flancului estic NATO, de la Marea Baltică la Marea Neagră, o prioritate

23:08

Ilie Bolojan anunță că România nu va dubla cheltuielile de apărare

23:06

Tens of thousands of people rallied Wednesday outside the government building calling on Cabinet members to resign over the planned cuts and threatened to go on full-blown strike as of May 31.

Romania’s highly-unionized public sector employs about 1.4 million people, about one third of all the country’s employees.

Unions have proposed alternative measures to the Government’s planned cuts in a move to keep pensions unchanged and proposed a milder cut, of 10%, for wages. Unions also called for the higher taxation of copyright and authorized individuals.