Bolojan: the unified pay legislation could be voted on soon, with 15–20% rises for some categories

Interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan has stated that the unified pay legislation is finalised and ready to be submitted to Parliament, but that its submission has been delayed due to the absence of a political agreement that would guarantee its adoption.

"I believe that, responsibly, for as long as there is still time, even the unified pay legislation could be adopted in the coming period, because significant sums of money depend on these laws," said Bolojan.

Why the submission of the legislation was delayed

According to the interim Prime Minister, the delay is due both to unfinished negotiations and to public statements regarding potential pay rises in the public sector. "The pay legislation can be submitted at any time. The legislation is in a form ready for submission. The problem is that when you submit it, you need some form of agreement to give it a chance of passing. Its submission has been delayed precisely because of these discussions that have not been concluded, and against a backdrop of irresponsible public discourse," Bolojan explained.

What the legislation provides for: not all public sector salaries will increase

Bolojan clarified that the legislation will not bring automatic pay rises for all public sector employees, but rather aims to correct existing pay imbalances. "Today we have people in the public sector with very high salaries, far higher than those in the private sector, because over the years they have secured — through membership of a particular professional body or by being employed in a certain ministry — a salary level well above the norm. In their case, salaries will not increase, but there are other categories for whom this legislation will raise salaries by 15–20%," the interim Prime Minister said in a statement on a radio station.

He argues that adopting the legislation would bring greater equity to the public sector pay system and make salary expenditure more predictable in the years ahead.

Discussions with trade unions and the budget warning

The Prime Minister mentioned that repeated consultations had taken place with trade unions at the level of the Ministry of Labour, whilst stressing the Government's budgetary constraints: "I have met with the trade unions, but we cannot give more than we can afford. It is far more honest to tell them that."

Bolojan warned that delaying the legislation could place additional pressure on the budget in autumn, when the Government might be forced to index salaries — a solution that would increase salary expenditure without eliminating the disparities between categories of public sector workers. "It will put pressure on the deficit, we will lose money, and the inequities will become even greater," the interim Prime Minister said.