Alfa Cartel union members to protest against the ordinance ruling benefit cuts

Almost 15,000 professors, public servants, medical personnel and police officers, affiliated to the Alfa union announced that they will organize a protest, on Monday, at 11 am – 1pm in front of the prefectures across the country and between 12pm – 2 pm in front of the Labor ministry and the headquarters of the two governmental parties.

The protest is aimed against an ordinance ruling the cut or decrease of some salary benefits. Union members plan to launch a labor conflict if the document will be approved. Meanwhile, the Labor ministry and union members start their negotiations over four divergent texts in the normative text.

Labor minister Marian Sarbu declared, a week ago, that the ministry will come up with a new proposal that will be accepted by union representatives. Last week’s meeting established that the 10% foreign language benefit will only be granted to those employees who know unique languages, that the 75% salary benefit will be offered to those employees working with EU funds depending on their performance and supplementary hours will be rewarded with free time and only where it is possible, they will be paid.

The World Bank recommended that Romania should cut benefits so as to represent up to 25% of the public servant salaries, concluding that there are too many benefits. Plus, experts urged the government to level state salaries to compete with the private market.