Romanian Police, Customs Officers Set To Protest Through “Excessive Work And Dedication”

„The «Pro Lex» union decided to back the general strike planned for October 5 by public sector employees. Thus, the members of the police union, without breaching any law whatsoever, will choose to protest through „excessive work and dedication” in solving cases, without minding the time or staff shortage,” „Pro Lex” leader Vasile Lincu told a press conference Saturday.

Asked to enlarge upon this form of protest, Lincu stressed that police officers would tackle new cases only after they solved the cases they had already been working on.

Lincu pointed out that over the past few years, due to staff shortages in the sector, police officers „not necessarily neglected the quality of their work, but strove to solve as many cases as possible in a short period of time, while focusing on quantity and not quality.”

Lincu also said that, starting September 15, police officers would no longer spend their own money on gas, consumables or drive their own cars to work.

„Pro Lex” unionists said they are displeased with the provisions of the draft law regulating wages in the public sector, which, Lincu stressed, breaches the agreement between „Pro Lex” and the Government.

Community police officers and customs officers affiliated to „Pro Lex” will also protest through „excessive work and dedication” and they will also join the general strike planned for October 5.

Romanian public sector employees will picket the Parliament on September 15, call general strike on October 5 and will then refuse to be involved in the presidential elections due on November 22, displeased with the draft law regulating wages in the public sector.

On September 10, Aurel Cornea, leader of a union federation in the education sector, said that several unions representing public sector employees, affiliated to different national confederations, formed an alliance and urged the Government not to enact the current form of the unitary wage law by assuming responsibility in Parliament and renegotiate the law to ensure decent wages for all employees and consider the general principles agreed three months ago, when negotiations first started.

The Romanian Government is still revising the draft law to include amendments that will be discussed in a cabinet meeting on Sunday, September 13. The Government will appear before Parliament on Tuesday, September 15, to assume responsibility for the enactment of the unitary pay law, and laws on education and public sector spending cuts.