SANITAS Rejects the New Pay Law: Risks to Healthcare Incomes from 2027

The SANITAS Federation of Romania has announced that it categorically rejects the latest version of the draft Law on the remuneration of staff paid from public funds, proposed by the interim Government. The trade unionists maintain that, although the authorities have announced amendments, the serious issues previously flagged by the organisation have not been resolved.

According to SANITAS, employees in Healthcare and Social Assistance remain exposed to significant financial risks from 2027 onwards, for three main reasons:

• Lack of funding sources: the draft law does not specify where the promised pay rises will be funded from.
• Capping of allowances at 20%: this limit would directly affect the total income of medical staff and those working in social care.
• Possible reduction of the reference value: the law retains a provision that allows the reference value used to calculate salaries to be reduced from 2027.

Federation representatives have made clear that they do not accept being held responsible for the failure of this legislative proposal, stressing that the role of trade unions is to defend employees' earnings, not to validate incomplete reforms simply to meet a deadline.

From the official SANITAS statement

"The draft law does not guarantee funding sources for the payment of salaries, maintains the capping of allowances at 20%, and retains the legal possibility for the reference value used to calculate salaries to be reduced in 2027. Under these circumstances, we cannot speak of predictability and salary security for employees in Healthcare and Social Assistance," the statement reads.

The union further states: "Responsibility for fulfilling commitments made and for the quality of policies and reforms lies with the Government. The role of trade unions is precisely to raise the alarm when a law is poorly drafted and when its effects may impact the income and rights of the majority of employees. Defending people's salaries does not mean blocking a reform. It means demanding that the reform be a fair one."

The SANITAS Federation has made clear that it will not validate the law "under the pressure of a deadline or a financial stake", so long as it does not provide genuine guarantees for the employees it represents.