Over 50 Romanian Foresters Picket Agriculture Ministry, Demanding 25% Risk Benefit

The members of the Union Confederation Consilva demand that the risk benefit be granted as stipulated in the Forestry Code, and say they expect ministry officials to invite them to negotiations.

"Since Law 46 – Forestry Code was approved, on March 27, 2008, no measure has been taken to enforce article 127 section 5, which grants the forestry staff a risk benefit of 25% of the salary,” Marian Stoicescu, head of Consilva, said Monday.

Stoicescu said he sued the National Forestry Agency, in order to obtain the risk benefit retroactively, since March, when the law appeared, and also the economic operators managing forests, for not enforcing the law, as they claim they need special memo from the Agriculture Ministry.

Unionists also demand that the 25% risk benefit be included in the future collective work contract, as the current one had been secured before the law was published. They also want the risk benefit to be included in the budget for 2009.

According to the union leader, ministry representatives said no extra regulation is needed.

"We asked the ministry to send a memo to the territorial agencies informing them that there is no need for extra regulation to enable law enforcement, namely the granting of the 25% risk benefit,” Stoicescu added.

Stoicescu also said a forester earns 700-800 lei (EUR1=RON3.6691) per month, which is RON300 lower than the average wage.

He also warned of the pressures that have been made on foresters and of the increasing number of abuses and assaults, which caused severe injuries or even the death of staff in the forestry sector.

Stoicescu said the forestry staff is obligated to pay double for the damage caused by people who steal wood.