Romanian Parents To Picket Government HQ Wednesday, Parliament HQ on June 1

According to the press release, protesters will also picket the Parliament headquarters on June 1, when Romania celebrates Children's Day.

Parents said they are still waiting for an answer to the letter addressed to Labor Minister Mihai Seitan, Prime Minister Emil Boc and President Traian Basescu on Monday, when over one hundred Romanian mothers, fathers, children and grandparents picketed the ministry headquarters, protesting against the child-rearing benefit cut.

A group of protesters was admitted inside the Labor Ministry to file an open letter to the labor minister, prime minister and the president. The letter explained that the cuts might lead to an increase in child abandonment and abortion rates and that single-parent families and families with many children will be gravely affected. According to the letter, the cut would save under 0.02% of the state budget. Protesters have said they will only accept the full reinstatement of the benefit, which is granted by law.

The Government has recently announced it will slash the child-rearing benefit as of June 1, but whether this entails a decrease of the yearly income percentage or if all beneficiaries will receive a fixed sum remains to be seen.

Until early 2009, all beneficiaries irrespective of income received a child-rearing benefit of RON600 (EUR1=RON4.1998). Government sources have said that the Labor Ministry is currently considering a return to this sum.

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