Romanian Police Officers Resume Protests On Monday

Pro Lex, the union of Romanian police officers and customs workers, said it will resume protests Monday, as officers’ problems were not solved during the meeting on Tuesday. Minister Dan Nica on Tuesday told unionists that the ministry can pay their salaries until the end of the year but cannot afford to pay their rents.

"Unionists concluded that the situation is too much for the minister to handle, as he surrendered to the idea that he cannot ensure funds to solve the requests,” said Pro Lex head Vasile Lincu.

Lincu said the minister promised that salaries would be paid regularly until the end of the year, although currently the necessary funds do not exist, but told them that the rent problem for deployed police officers cannot be solved.

Lincu said Nica assured them that the additional funds to cover police officers’ wages will be assigned in the next budget revision.

The minister couldn’t come up with a solution for the unionists’ request regarding the payment of the 50% wage bonus for certain top positions or the pay of merit salaries.

Nica explained the police force cannot afford to hire more people.

“Unfortunately, the staff defcit is growing. People can’t take days off to rest. We’re asking co-workers to stop working overtime without the minister’s written order,” Lincu said.

The unionist asked the minister for political support in changing the status of the police officer.

Nica suggested they should address the matter to the National Body of Police Officers, but according to Lincu, this organization is not defending their rights.

Some 350 members of "Pro Lex" organized a two-hour protest on Tuesday in front of the Ministry of Interior over the funds assigned to the sector and the unpaid rents for the upcoming months of nearly 12,000 officers.