Romanian Govt Postponed Wage Hikes In Education By One Month

The government adopted an emergency decree Thursday setting that one third of the 28% hike for teachers, decide by the former liberal government, would be granted as of April 1, instead of the initial date set for March 1.

The date for the year’s second wage hike was left unchanged and should be granted in the period September 1 – December 31, 2009.

Education minister Ecaterina Andronescu was not immediately available for comment.

In October, Romanian President Traian Basescu passed a law that stipulated teachers would get a 50% wage increase as of Oct 1, 2008. Four days later, the former liberal government decided to postpone the enforcement of that law until April 2009, citing the financial crisis and then passed a new decree stipulating teachers’ wages would be increased gradually by up to 28% and the highest increases would go to teachers with low incomes.

On the other hand, the country’s current center-left coalition government decided Thursday that wages in the public sector would be increased only by 5% this year, in two stages: 3% in April and 2% in October.

Prime Minister Emil Boc said employees in the education system will receive the same 5% hike, plus potential hikes conditioned by reform and restructuring processes in the sector.