*Fiscal administrations all over the country were blocked, the protest extended at the customs, too
Approx. 22,000 employees of the institutional system of the Public Finance Ministry attended on Monday a spontaneous protest in Bucharest and in several counties in the country, as a response to the draft on the Pay Law.
As a result of stopping work, many of the fiscal administrations in the country were blocked for several hours. The employees are dissatisfied with the draft on the Budgetary Pay Law, which seems to provide salary decreases up to 20% of the current salary in this fields, advocating for a single pay scale.
The strikers in the Bucharest Public Finance system marched to the Finance Ministry
Approx. 1,000 employees announced on Monday their intention to protest in front of the Public Finance Ministry to point out that the new draft on the Pay Law leads to salary cuts without considering the complexity and the importance of the activity carried out by the employees of the Public Finance Ministry and the subordinated units in implementing the fiscal policy in Romania, according to the Sedlex Alliance.
The employees in all the counties who protest, claim that the draft on the Pay Law leads to salary cuts and ask the Public Finance Ministry and the Government “to revise the payroll grids in the draft law, so that they will reflect the complexity and the importance of the activity of the Public Finance Ministry and the subordinated units (ANAF, regional general directorates of the public finance sector, etc.)”, reads the press release.
National Federation of the Trade Unions in the Finance Sector (FNSF) warns that the protest actions caused by the salary cuts were started by the employees and they can extend for an indefinite period of time, which may lead to blocking the collection and public relations activities.
“Instead of paying 35,000 new hired fiscal consultants with salaries of RON 10,000, which is twice than the salary of an employee in the Public Finance Ministry, the Romanian Government would rather pay a decent salary to the 25,000 employees responsible for collecting the state revenues, being a more realistic, fair and sustainable investment, which would lead to attracting and keeping the well-trained staff, which can cope with the new requirements in the implementation of the fiscal policy” the press release also reads.
“Trade unions made all the efforts not to escalate this conflict, but the authorities’ passivity I finding solutions made the employees to react in an uncontrollable manner. Prolonging this conflict would put in danger the implementation of the current draft on the Pay Law itself”, FNSF announced.
FNSF mentions that the employees of the Public Finance Ministry and the subordinated units do not benefit from increases, bonuses or other additional income, being incompatible with any other office which may bring additional income.
“People are dissatisfied with the draft on the Pay Law and they started a spontaneous protest all over the country. They are people with trained in the economy, who made their calculation and who found that their income is diminishing. Salaries decrease on average by 10-35%. The salaries of those having management positions and higher salaries, will decrease even more. There are also people whose salaries will not decrease. We had a meeting with the ANAF leadership and we sent them our proposals. But nothing happened and people feel that there are fooled” stated Vasile Marica, the leader of the Confederacy of Civil Servants Trade Unions “SED LEX”.
According to him, the net average salary in the institutions of the institutional system of the Public Finance Ministry is RON 2,200.
Around 650 employees of the Bucharest Regional Public Finance General Directorate (DGRFP) started a protest on Monday, at 8.30 AM, in front of the institution, because of the draft on the Pay Law, according to a press release sent by the Bucharest Finance Trade Union.
“The protest was started because the new draft Pay Law leads to salary cuts and decreases of the income of the employees of DGRFP Bucharest”, reads the press release.
It also mentions that “the DGRFP Bucharest Trade Union tried to prevent such an action, informing many times the leadership of the Public Finance Ministry and the National Agency for Fiscal Administration about the dissatisfaction of the employees”.
Fiscal Administrations in the country blocked, employees protesting against the salary disparities: “We want a single salary grid”
Around 200 employees of the Dolj County Public Finance Agency protested on Monday morning against the Unitary Pay Law; the union leaders said that the protest will continue on Tuesday, too. However, the activity at the counters wasn’t affected, but the employees of the Dolj Fiscal Agency intend to protest every day on an indefinite period of time, against the Unitary Pay Law.
“We are dissatisfied because our salaries will decrease when the Unitary Pay Law will be implemented, as well as because of the discrepancies between us and our colleagues in the Central Office of the Finance Ministry. We don’t want to make a social case from this, we don’t want the other categories suffer, but we want to alert governors and lawmakers to listen us, to take us into account and to apply the principles of the law in the right manner” stated Brandusa Palarie, a union representative.
“The activity wasn’t blocked. We served the taxpayers, we don’t mock them” stated Viorel Ghencea, AJFP Dolj Spokesman.
Also in Gorj, dozens of employees of the Gorj County Public Finance Administration protested on Monday in front of the institution.
“It is a spontaneous protest, attended by most of the AJFP Gorj employees. Their claims are related to the Paw Law. The Prefect is here, talking with the representatives of the unions” stated Marin Ciumag, the Head of the AJFP Gorj.
More than 100 employees of the Cluj Public Finnce General Directorate protested on Monday against the salary disparities provided in the new Paw Law, between the employees in the Central Office and those in the country, from 27% to 50%.
The union leader within the Cluj Public Finance General Directorate, Ilie Rostogol, stated that most of the activity in the institution was interrupted.
“More than 100 employees are protesting in the institution’s yard, it’s a spontaneous protest, most of the activity was interrupted, we might close our gates, we haven’t close them yet, we don’t want have disputes with the tax payers. We are dissatisfied with the salary disparities in the new Pay Law, between the employees of the Central Office and those in the country, which are between 27% and 50%. Why do they want to hire 35,000 fiscal consultants paid with RON 10,000 per month, instead of increasing the salaries of those who work in the Finance system, collecting revenues for the state budget?” Rostogol stated.
Approx. 500 employees of the Ploiesti Regional Public Finance General Directorate interrupted the public service on Monday. The employees in the Finance system started a spontaneous strike, being dissatisfied with the salary level.
There were also protests in Arges County against the Pay Law, but the activity wasn’t disturbed.
“It’s a protest related to the Pay Law. We want a single payroll grid. In Pitesti, the event doesn’t disturb the institution’s activity, and people who come here receive the information they need, as it was until now. However, there are around 100 employees in the institution’s hall, who will protest until we will be called for negotiations. We hope that this will happen as soon as possible, we hope our action will have results” stated Valentin Parvu, a union leader.
150 employees of the Iasi Regional Public Finance General Directorate also interrupted their work on Monday morning. In Sibiu, 70 people also protested against the salary disparities, stopping their work on Monday morning.
Approx. 270 employees in the Finance system protested on Monday in Alba County, too, as a response to the draft on the Pay Law; the union leader Florin Oana stated that they will have lower income in 2018, and the money they receive do not reflect the complexity of the work they are performing.
Customs officers start protest action: “overzealous” controls, customs may block
The employees of the customs system joined the employees of the Public Finance Regional Directorates, and they started a protest action at 10.00 AM, under the form of the “overzealous work”, by which the customs control will not be selective anymore, according to the risk analysis.
“All the transportation means will be checked, which will lead to a crowded traffic and even to blocking Romania’s border” announced the Customs National Trade Union “Unirea”.
The protest is caused by the salary cuts since January 1, 2018.
