Over One Thousand Romanian Unionists Protest In Front Of Parliament

Public sector employees in education, healthcare, law enforcement and public administration are picketing the Parliament and call on the Government not to enact the unitary pay law but renegotiate it and discard plans to cut jobs in the public sector.

National Union Confederation Cartel Alfa union leader Bogdan Hossu said Monday that, during the meeting of the Executive Committee, the unionists decided to picket the Parliament Tuesday, as they are displeased with the current format of the three packs of laws for whose enactment the Government is asking the Parliament for a confidence vote.

The union federations within the Alliance of State Employees that deal with renegotiating the unitary wage law also decided to picket the Parliament Tuesday.

Several union federations set up an alliance of public sector employees Thursday, when they announced they will picket the Parliament Tuesday and will organize a general strike on October 5, refusing to participate in the organization of presidential elections.

The alliance urged the Government not to ask the Parliament for a vote to enact the unitary wage law and to renegotiate the law so that all the principles negotiated three months before, when the negotiation on the unitary wage law began, be taken into account. The unionists urge the Government to give up layoffs in the public sector and not to oblige the employees to accept mandatory unpaid leave.

Prime Minister Emil Boc said Friday the Government will continue talks with unionists on the unitary wage law, but will not give up the idea of assuming responsibility for it before the Parliament and will not consider postponing the date of responsibility assumption set for September 15.