Romanian Healthcare Employees Urge 50% Or 60% Wage Hike

 

Sanitas vice-president Adrian Barea said recent talks with the members of union federations revealed the need for wage hikes in the healthcare system.

 Last Tuesday, the Romanian Chamber of Deputies unanimously approved Ordinance 15/2008 amended by the leftist opposition Social Democratic Party stipulating a 50% wage increase for staff in the education system. The chamber has the final say on this normative act.

On the same day, public servants affiliated to the Sed Lex federation threatened last Tuesday to start protests and even go on strike unless the government increases their salaries by 50% starting January 1, 2009, while the Romanian Doctors College (CMR) said Sunday it would request the hike of doctors’ wages if the government increased wages for teachers, public servants and other social categories.

The National Federation of Unions in sanitary units and spa resorts (TESA) Friday threatened to start protests as of next month, unless administrative staff receives a 60% wage hike as of November 1.

Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu said Saturday the Government decided to inform the Constitutional Court on a possible conflict between the Government and Parliament sparked by the adoption of the law stipulating a 50% hike in teachers’ wages.

Economy and finance minister Varujan Vosganian said last week that a 50% hike in all state employees’ wages would trigger a budget deficit of 7% of gross domestic product next year or the annulment of all investments planned for 2009.

Gheorghe Isvoranu, head of Romania’s Federation of Education Unions “Spiru Haret,” saids Saturday the federation would sue Vosganian and Tariceanu over their statements on the Chamber of Deputy’s decision to hike teacher’s wages by 50%.

Aurel Cornea, head of the Federation of Free Unions (FSLI), said Saturday the government should resign due to incompetence, adding that the ruling party is “a party of demagogues and opportunists”, as the liberals voted unanimously in favor of the wage increase, only to deny it later.

 

 

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