Unified Pay Reform: Impact on Pensions and Senior Care Services

The draft unified pay legislation for the public sector, currently under public consultation, is generating controversy that could directly affect the quality of services provided to older adults. The proposed changes to the pay system cover all public sectors, including healthcare and social care.

The Minister of Labour acknowledges that the document contains numerous gaps and that proper consultations were not held with all professional categories prior to its publication. This situation has led to widespread protests across sectors that are essential to the care of elderly people.

Protests in sectors crucial to older adults

Nurses, who play a fundamental role in the care of elderly patients, have staged protest demonstrations. Employees in the tax system (ANAF and the Treasury) have also voiced their dissatisfaction, which could affect the processing of pensions and other social entitlements for older adults.

Court clerks have threatened to bring activity in courts and prosecutors' offices to a standstill — a measure that could delay important legal proceedings for elderly people, such as those relating to inheritance or the protection of their rights.

The reform timetable and budgetary implications

The legislation is due to come into force on 1 January 2027, with a reference value of 4,100 RON. The ratio between the lowest and highest salary in the public sector will be 1 to 8. Education has been allocated the largest sum — 1.75 billion RON.

Economic experts are critical of the current draft, arguing that it could favour categories already advantaged within the public system, to the detriment of other sectors important to older adults. Implementation must be completed by 1 July 2026, in accordance with the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Political leaders have committed to ensuring that the new legislation does not increase public sector pay expenditure by more than 8 billion RON above 2026 levels — a cap that could influence the quality of public services for elderly people in the years ahead.