These days, Bucharest was paralyzed by the strike of over 20,000 education employees, most of them demanding their salary rights through the voice of union leaders. Although no immediate resolution to this labor dispute is in sight, the unions are hoping for a real resolution of the issues and points in the demands submitted to the government. But while the government has been increasing the salaries of some civil servants, saying there is no money for teachers, we learn that there will be further hikes for another blanket of government employees from June 1, 2023. So, read on and see how much the salaries are increasing for these employees in Romania from June 1, 2023.
MAI employees announce the organization of protests
On May 28, in a press release published by the EUROPOL trade union, clear references were made to the general strike launched by teachers in Romanian education, as well as the fact that the same teachers currently have salaries that have reached the maximum of the salary scale, according to the salary law, Law 153/2017.
Although, say those from EUROPOL, their demands are well-founded, on the other hand, the MAI employees are in exactly the same situation, with union representatives saying that the police are “those who have been sacrificed every time, from 2010 until now, for other political ‘priorities’.” In the same press release of May 28, the union requests sent to Minister Lucian Bode, the requests and measures not taken or left aside, are also specified, as follows:
- The average salary income in MAI is 3500 lei, an amount that includes all increments, including the increment for night or rest/legal holidays;
- The payment of rights regarding the settlement of transport to and from the workplace has been postponed indefinitely;
- The food rate is not paid at the updated level but was capped at the level of 2018;
- The increments that are calculated even on the 2009 salary;
- Overburdening active police officers who end up doing the work of 2-4 police officers who are absent due to staff shortages;
- The intention to change the retirement age to 65 years in the conditions where, according to the data provided by the Sector Pension Houses, without taking into account colleagues who died before retirement, the life expectancy is 68 years;
- The lack of rules regarding the career in the MAI, an aspect that generated the disaster that will follow, with thousands of functionally illiterate bosses or with police officers who do not have the necessary specialization for the work they are asked to do;
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But, according to the law, MAI staff cannot resort to strike, the same union explains, so, after consulting the legal framework, the employees have a sure lever to use, namely two forms of protest:
“1. Synchronization of the policemen so that at the level of each inspectorate, they are MOTIVATED from work for 1 day during June, as a result of donating blood at the blood transfusion centers.
2. Synchronization of the approach regarding the delay from work for 4 or 6 hours”, the press release also states.
Police unions face to face with Lucian Bode
Two days after this announcement, the Minister of the Interior, Lucian Bode, accepted the meeting with the unions and, EUROPOL also says, he had already made a first offer regarding the demands stated by the unions, especially regarding the outstanding salary part:
“However, the surprise of today’s protest came from Minister Lucian Bode, whom I last saw in person in 2021.
He invited us to enter the discussions in the ministry from 13:00, where he also invited the FSNPPC representatives.
From the preamble of the presentation, Minister Bode specified that the offer he is putting on the table is approved by the Prime Minister and the coalition,” the Europol union announced on May 30
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And the result of this meeting between the unions and Lucian Bode, would be announced by the minister himself.
Salaries for these employees in Romania are increasing from June 1, 2023
Following the announcement of the union protests, but also as a result of the meeting between the two parties, it was agreed that from June 1 this year, and not from July 1, as Lucian Bode had proposed in the first phase, the salaries of MAI employees should be increased, “remaining in discussion to find a formula to materialize the promise for the application of the other rights to the new amount of the salary of the position increased on June 1. At the same time, about the food ratio, Minister Bode could not pronounce in any way.“, say those from Europol.
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But, as the union representatives explain, it is not a real increase, according to the grid at the moment, but “the granting of the last outstanding installment of the amount of the salary provided for in the grid of Law 153/2017 starting from July 1, which we will feel in the August salary and which amounts, on average, to 374 lei net. And the second part of the arrears, represented by the full application of Law 153/2017, by calculating all the salary elements at the new salary, should be done in August when the rectification will take place, and which we will feel at the September salary.”
