Romanian Civil Servants Strike Over Salaries

Thousands of Romanian civil servants staged a one-day strike on April 30, during which no documents will be issued of payments collected.

Trade union leader Bogdan Hossu said the government had failed to apply a unified wage law to the sector, so that equal work and equal responsibility remained unfairly remunerated.

About a quarter of the public administration, mainly juniors, earn the minimum wage of some 1,000 lei (226 euro) per month. They also complain that they do not receive food vouchers and holiday vouchers.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Wednesday said complaints on the part of public servants were legitimate but a strike was not the solution.

"Negotiations between the Labour Ministry and trade unions over salaries have to continue. There is no other better option than negotiations," Ponta said.

The government increased public sector wages by some 15 per cent in 2012 as a measure to restore them to pre-crisis levels.

In July 2010, civil servants' wages were cut by 25 per cent, while thousands of state jobs were axed and VAT was increased by five percentage points to 24 per cent.