Romanian unions reject new public sector wage law

Romanian labor unions are strongly opposing a new public sector wage law, calling for its total withdrawal and a restart of the reform process. Five major national confederations, including Cartel Alfa and CSDR, argue the current draft creates inequality and social tension rather than correcting systemic imbalances.

A primary point of contention is the reduction of the reference value from 4,100 lei to 4,000 lei. Unions also criticize a proposed 20% cap on the total value of salary supplements, which they claim could eliminate existing monthly benefits.

In the healthcare sector, the Solidaritatea Sanitară federation has launched a national consultation, using an online calculator to help approximately 60,000 employees assess the potential impact on their incomes. Healthcare workers are seeking higher supplements for weekend shifts and holiday work.

In the cultural sector, the CulturMedia federation has warned of large-scale social conflict, alleging that museum employees were excluded from recent wage negotiations.

The legislation is moving toward Parliament in an extraordinary session to meet PNRR deadlines, which are linked to approximately 770 million euros in EU funds. While the PNL party supports the law, claiming it will increase most salaries without reducing any existing income, unions maintain the reform is rushed and lacks sufficient social dialogue.