Unions use World Day for Decent Work to put forward wage claims

Four of the five national trade union confederations in Romania – which are affiliated to the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) – organised a campaign in support of the World Day for Decent Work (7 October) during the period 23 September–7 October 2008. The campaign consisted of two round tables on this topic and an outdoor meeting.The events were accompanied by unprecedented wage claims, made, so far, by teachers and civil servants.

Decent work as initially construed by trade unions

The National Trade Union Confederation Cartel Alfa (Confederaţia Naţională Sindicală Cartel Alfa, Cartel Alfa), the National Confederation of Free Trade Union Fraternity of Romania (Confederaţia Naţională a Sindicatelor Libere din România Frăţia, CNSLR Fratia), the National Trade Union Bloc (Blocul Naţional Sindical, BNS), and the Confederation of Democratic Trade Unions in Romania (Confederaţia Sindicatelor Democratice din România, CSDR), affiliated to the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), called two debates, and invited representatives of the Presidential Administration (Administraţia Prezidenţială), the Government of Romania (Guvernul României), employer organisations, and representatives of civil society organisations to attend.

The debates were meant to ‘refresh the memory of the government, employer s, policy makers and civil society about this concept, in order to make them aware that any individual should have a job capable of meeting the individual’s basic needs and of helping them to lead a decent life’.

The first round of discussions, on the topic of ‘Eradication of poverty and inequity’, was held in the Human Rights Hall of the Parliament Palace on 23 September, and the debates focused on the right to work, employment of the labour force, and social welfare. The acting executive power and the presidential administration were not represented at these debates. Among the participants were two former labour ministers, representatives of the Alliance of Employer Confederation in Romania (Alianţa Confederaţiilor Patronale din România, ACPR), the General Union of Romanian Industrialists (Uniunea Generală a Industriaşilor din România, UGIR), the Employer Confederation of Romanian Industry (Confederaţia Patronală din Industria României, CONPIROM), as well as members of the academic and university community, and the press.

The trade union leaders spoke at length about their concept of poverty, inequity, and the right to work, and pleaded for the right to have a job, in terms of equity, safety, and decency.

Obviously, in the unions’ view, there is no decent work without decent wages.

The second round table was organised by the Economic and Social Council (Consiliul Economic şi Social, CES), and took place on 30 September with a focus on social dialogue. Both the unions and the employer organisations seized the opportunity of the presence at the table of the new labour minister and the State Counsellor of Presidential Administration, and raised the issue of the lack of dialogue, which has blocked the activity of the CES lately.

The overt intention of some of the main political parties to abolish the national collective agreement was criticised by those present.

Decent work and salary rises

On 30 September, the Parliament of Romania (Parlamentul României) passed a law for a 50% increase in the salaries of teaching staff, applicable from 1 October 2008.

However, this new piece of legislation has triggered a media war.

Under pressure from successive waves of claims from employees in the public sector, the government contended the law before the Constitutional Court of Romania (Curtea Constituţională a României), and the prime minister dismissed the minister of education.

On 7 October, over 10,000 union members took part in a meeting that had already been scheduled to mark the World Day for Decent Work. The meeting was an opportunity to voice very harsh criticism of the government, and to make wage claims.

Bogdan Iulian Hossu, the leader of Cartel Alfa, said: ‘By no means will we agree to the abolition of the national collective agreement, and, moreover, we demand that the minimum wage should be brought, as soon as possible, to the equivalent of EUR 500 a month, to enable those receiving it to live a decent life.’

Continuation of the conflict

On 10 October 2008, the union representatives were invited to a meeting by the prime minister who stated that he could not ‘accept these increments because they are not economically sustainable … I cannot imagine, once the teachers get higher pay, that the other segments won’t ask for as much’.

On 15 October, thousands of teachers took part in a protest march from the Parliament Palace to the Victoria Palace, which ended with a rally at which the speakers threatened to stage a general strike unless salaries increase by 50%; civil servants’ unions made their intention known to do the same.

These claims come after the government and the social partners signed, at the end of June 2008, an agreement on the minimum wage for the period 2008 - 2014, granting a level of RON 600 (approximately EUR 160) a month (RO0808019I), beginning on 1 January 2009. The unions’ latest demands are much above that.

The current financial turmoil worldwide serves as an argument to both the unions and the government.

Luminita Chivu, Institute of National Economy, Romanian Academy