Unions ask the government to pass a law protecting employees in case of massive redundancies

„Cartel Alfa” Confederation president Bogdan Hossu asked Worked minister Mihai Seitan on Tuesday to elaborate a law to protect employees made redundant in case of massive sacking, Romanian press agency Mediafax informs.

„I pointed out that, should the job cuts be discussed, there has to be a law addressing collective redundancies to give some rights to employees, leaving benefits, but also the tools for professional re-skill and reintegration on the labour market”, Bogdan Hossu declared.

Work Ministry representatives met on Tuesday afternoon with unions and patronages leaders to discuss the common state salary law and the unique minimum income, which currently has two values: 600 lei in the private sector and 705 lei for the state sector.

Unions threaten to take the Executive to court

Union leaders used the occasion to request that the minimum income in the private sector should be increased to the value it has in the public sector, accusing the Executive of discrimination. Should this request be ignored, the unions threatened to sue the Executive, Romanian press agency NewsIn informs.

„The Government needs to issue a Decision in one week or two at the latest, to establish the situation of the minimum income”, BNS president Dumitru Costin said. According to him, leaving the discrepancy between the minimum incomes from the state and the private sectors „can only mean that [the Government] accepts a discrimination of the employees”.

„We will take the government to court, both home and at a European level if this problem is not fixed in two weeks”, he added. Bogdan Hossu noted that a new round of negotiations will start with the patronages on the issue of the minimum income.