The meeting comes two day after the Constitutional Court ruled that a draft law for a 50 percent increase for teachers can be applied. The government had appealed the legislation, on the grounds that it failed to indicate where the funds for this increase will come from.
The starting point of today’s discussions will be based on existing draft legislation regarding salaries for clerks. Other civil servants - such as teachers and medical staff, will either be included in this draft or will have new legislation drafted specifically for them.
The draft was discussed with representatives of trade and employers unions and government officials, but they have not reached an agreement so far, Campeanu said.
Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu insists there are no funds to raise wages and that the application of the law will drive Romania into a crisis. Educational specialists disagree, saying that it is not the salaries of teachers but those of politicians that are a risk to Romania’s economy. However, government officials and analysts fear that other civil servants will demand significant salary hikes, which could boost inflation.
