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| TEACHERS' SALARIES: DISPUTES GO ON 27/10/2008 |
| (2008-10-27) |
| Last updated: 2008-10-28 17:53 EET |
The salaries of Romanian teaching staff, which could have generated an extensive debate on salaries in the public sector, have turned into an electoral topic approached in a populist manner. The dialogue of the deaf goes on, with each player pursuing their own goals. After the president promulgated the law that increases teacher salaries by 50 per cent, the government is now looking for a backup plan.
A first political solution would have been the resignation of the government, but prime minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu rejected it out of hand. There's also the option of an emergency ordinance freezing salaries in the public sector, or the government may assume responsibility on a bill that increases teaching staff wages within reasonable and sustainable limits. The government meeting scheduled for tomorrow is, therefore, critical.
The Prime Minister attacked the supporters of the controversial law, accusing them of populism and irresponsibility. He reiterated the economic arguments that make this law undesirable. Tariceanu warns that Romania's economic growth rate-one of the highest in Europe over the past few years-risks being undercut, and says the new bill will have a negative impact on inflation and taxes. Calin Popescu Tariceanu:
“Next year, inflation will spiral up to over 10 per cent; and all these pay rises, which are economically ungrounded, will entail one out of two possible measures. The first is a return to the burdening taxation system that was in place until 2005, with income taxes of over 40 per cent, so as to get additional revenues to public budgets. The second is to turn the money printer on—which I will never do.”
The Social Democrats dismiss the government as incompetent, and regard its position as an offence for teachers. The ex-minister of education in the Social Democratic government, Ecaterina Andronescu:
“The government's effort to bypass this legislation proves their disregard for education. The government has one solution: to walk out and leave other, more competent parties to govern the country and not distribute resources only to the rich.”
The Liberal Democrats are even more discourteous, pointing, like many a times before, to what they see as a costly concubinage for Romania , between the Social democrats and the liberals ; they announce they are ready to respond to any measure the Government takes. PDL chief, Emil Boc:
“If they pass an emergency ordinance, we will immediately discuss it in Parliament and turn it down, so as to prevent its enforcement. If they take responsibility on new legislation, we will table a no-confidence motion and send the government home.”
Teachers, on the other hand, will not settle for anything less, and are determined to go on all-out strike unless the law is enforced. The daily CURENTUL headlines, “Teachers ready to issue emergency ordinance against the liberals.” Using football speak, the newspaper GANDUL notes that “Tariceanu tries to tackle the opponent or play for time.”
And the paper COTIDIANUL ironically comments that the government will not resign, but shuts down for the election campaign: “The crisis that threatens Romania, under the downpour of salary and pension increases, does not impact the election campaign: 14 ministers are busy with their own candidacies.”
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