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| THE AUTUMN OF UNION PROTESTS 20/09/2010 |
| (2010-09-20) |
| Last updated: 2010-09-21 14:02 EET |
The economic crisis, already having resulted in wage cuts and massive layoffs in the state-owned sector, is predicted to make this autumn a difficult one for the Government. Large union confederations have initiated protests against the Boc cabinet’s austerity measures.
Late negotiations held on Sunday between union leaders and the Executive didn’t result in any agreement being reached. The Prime Minister managed to convince the union leaders to halt street protests, but claims that he is still open to talks with social partners, while “keeping in mind current budget limitations”. Representatives of the big central unions claim that the Government intents to freeze the national minimum wage over the following years and that, during negotiations, the PM only made promises unrelated to financial aspects. President of the Alfa Cartel, Bogdan Hosu:
“We saw how the Government keeps aiming for the same lack of responsibility policy. What is worse is that they intends to freeze the national minimum wage, which means they encourage evasion as practice on the labor market.”
The trade unions' first form of protest is the picketing of prefect offices around the country, whereas policemen plan to reduce their working hours by 25%, the same rate by which their salaries have been cut. Picketing will be followed by rallies and marches. On Wednesday, unionists affiliated to the Cartel Fratia federation will march through Bucharest and hold protests in Constitution Square.
Starting on Thursday, Cartel Alfa will occupy Victory Square, in front of the Government’s headquarters in Bucharest, with a string of rallies that will bring together employees in sectors such as public healthcare, education, police and penitentiaries. But not all trade unions seem prepared to launch co-ordinated industrial action.
The Cartel Alfa confederation has postponed a protest originally scheduled for Monday in the central Romanian city of Bistrita, to a date when it manages to bring together a sufficient number of participants to give the event the desired scope.
Cartel Alfa's protests are intended to prompt the government to come up with concrete investment programmes able to preserve existing jobs and to create new ones. And although unions have not managed to agree on a common calendar of protests, their discontent is rooted in the same elements: the single payment scheme for public sector employees, the pension act and the need to improve labour legislation. Talks between major union federation leaders and the labour minister concerning the national minimum wage will resume on Tuesday.
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