Romanian President Skeptical About Unpaid Leave In Public Sector, Suggests Staff Cuts Instead

The head of state said institutions in the central and local administration are inefficient and, instead of paying all employees less, he suggested performance evaluations to to keep "skillful employees" and oust "weak employees".

Basescu also said the government must allocate minimum resources for expenses in the public sector and avoid excesses in order to pay salaries, pensions and endorse operations on the Romanian market.

Furthermore, he said the Romanian authorities have proved so far that they are incapable of coping with the economic crisis.

"Romania must avoid an economic sideslip. Romania must avoid excesses, either staff spending or investment costs. Romanian authorities have proved so far that they are incapable of coping with the economic crisis, unlike the private sector, which was able to take the necessary measures. You should all know that Romania needs the army, the police force, doctors, teachers and I shall always be rational, not absurd. The economic crisis made us realize the importance of modernizing Romania. Had the modernization process started several years ago, Romania would have overcome the crisis easier. Since Germany and France were able to revive their economies, I truly hope Romania will do the same in the fourth quarter of the year," Basescu said at the meeting with the local authorities in Tulcea.

Basescu stressed one “cannot put an end to an economic crisis by pumping money into economy," arguing Romania has little chance of reviving its economy when large companies halted production and the big markets in the European Union were pushed into recession.

On August 11, finance minister Gheorghe Pogea said public sector employees will take unpaid vacations between September and November, will shorten working hours to six from eight per day or simply work ten days less to cut budget spending by 0.3% of GDP.

Ministry sources on Thursday said the normative act that includes the provision forcing public sector employees to take ten days of unpaid vacation will be introduced in the law pack for which the Government will take responsibility in Parliament on September 2.

"The Government will draft a normative act whereby public sector employees are obliged to take ten days of unpaid vacation in the last part of the year, and the act will be introduced in the law pack for which the government plans to take responsibility in Parliament in September," the sources said.

Prime Minister Emil Boc urged Justice Ministry officials to analyze the legal framework meant to promote this act and bring it in line with the country’s Labor Code and the valid legislation, the quoted sources said.

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