Romanian Clerks Picket Justice Ministry Headquarters

“Projust” president Eugen Purcaru said he will submit a memo to the Justice Ministry, asking that the law be observed, not negotiated.

According to “Projust”, Government Emergency Ordinance no. 75/2008 says the wages of staff in the justice department may be paid in three stages, over 18 months. Union members say that, although the first installment has been paid in September 2008, the second stage, which was due to be paid on March 10, 2009, has not. Moreover, the Justice Ministry has issued no statement on whether this state of affairs is going to change.

“Projust” officials say the workers in the justice department have not been consulted on this payment method, as the Justice Ministry and Finance Ministry signed a common order, regulating the spreading of wages “as they saw fit.”

Dozens of people – clerks, archivists and other employees of Bucharest courts protested Wednesday through Friday, unhappy that they have no received the bonuses they won in court. Similar protests have taken place recently in the cities of Craiova, Timisoara, Oradea and Suceava.

Romanian justice minister Catalin Predoiu stated on Thursday that the protests are ungrounded, as the draft law on wages is merely a rumor. The minister said that no draft of this sort exists and if it did, it would be posted on the ministry’ web site.

Predoiu met with “Projust” representatives on Thursday and decided that, for now, only people who obtained their salary rights through irrevocable court decisions will receive them. The minister extended an invitation to the presidents of the Appeal Courts and head clerks to meet and discuss the financial issues in the justice department.

According to another law, Government Emergency Ordinance no. 225/2008, the payment of amounts provided for through government ordinances should start on March 31, 2009, except for those which fall under Government Emergency Ordinance no. 75/2008.