Healthcare Unionists Protest Wage Cuts In NE Romania, Clash With Security

Around 300 Romanian healthcare unionists of the Sanitas federation in Iasi, northeastern Romania, have clashed with security forces Friday afternoon in their attempt to break through security lines and enter the prefect’s office, in their protest over the 25% wage cut.

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During the protest, demonstrators shouted "Down with the Government" and "Down with [President] Basescu" and threw eggs toward the prefect's office.

Mihai Cojocariu, spokesperson of the local Gendarmerie in Iasi, said Sanitas union leaders initially announced around 50 people were to protest Friday, but underscored that in the end, there were about 300 people protesting outside the prefect's office.

Iasi prefect Dragomir Tomaseschi, who is currently out of town, said a Sanitas union delegation is in talks with deputy prefect Bogdan Saramet, and stressed unionists are mainly disgruntled about the 25% wage cut imposed by the Government in July.

Healthcare unionists throughout the country have threatened to protest in September and October over the deplorable state of the country's healthcare system and the Government's austerity measures. The Sanitas union said its 120,000 members would take the state to court.

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