Romania
Background information on industrial relations in Romania
- 05 Oct 2009
Romania: One-day strike in public sector over new pay billAfter about six months of negotiations, on 15 September 2009, the Romanian government forwarded to the parliament the draft framework on public employees’ unitary pay law. The reforms triggered discontent among staff in education, health and public administration. A total of 11 trade union federation representatives in the public sector have set up an alliance and threatened a series of protests, culminating in a one-day general strike on 5 October 2009.
- 22 Sep 2009
Romania: Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Steel industry – RomaniaThe aim of this representativeness study is to identify the respective national and supranational actors (i.e. trade unions and employer organisations) in the field of industrial relations in the steel industry in Romania. In order to determine their relative importance in the sector’s industrial relations, this study will, in particular, focus on their representational quality as well as on their role in collective bargaining.
- 18 Sep 2009
Romania: Romania – Greening the European economy: Responses and initiatives by Member States and social partnersIn Romania, the social partners in industry, agriculture and tourism and the central and local public administration have understood the importance of this chance, and the general opinion is in favour of a green economy. In this context, the package of measures designed to dampen the crisis include proposals made by the social partners, some of which are related to the green economy and environmental protection. There is much talk now of a 'green reindustrialisation of Romania', for which the country has the natural resources, but lacks the finance.
- 15 Sep 2009
Romania: Romania: Flexicurity and industrial relationsThis contribution is a synopsis of how flexicurity as a concept was implemented in Romanian practice, describing the initiatives and views of the social partners, the actual developments, and some of its practical effects on the Romanian labour market.
- 10 Aug 2009
Romania: Employers dissatisfied with progress of anti-crisis measuresIn July 2009, the Romanian government met to examine the status of the measures taken in the first half of 2009 to combat the economic crisis, reporting that 28 of the 32 actions agreed with the social partners had been fulfilled. However, when leaders of employer organisations met with the prime minister, they argued that the government’s anti-crisis measures were insufficient and made counter-proposals primarily based on seeking an injection of investment funds.
- 10 Aug 2009
Romania: Trade unions address crisis in Jiu Valley mining areaIn June 2009, the National Trade Union Bloc and the Mining Trade Unions League of the Jiu Valley met the stakeholders of the Jiu Valley mining area to agree on actions and programmes aiming to improve the socioeconomic prospects of an economic sector in severe crisis. The talks ended with the appointment of a committee charged with finding development solutions through programmes, with the help of financial support from the European Social Fund.
- 10 Aug 2009
Romania: Trade unions lodge complaint with ILO against governmentIn April 2009, the Romanian government issued an emergency ordinance stipulating the removal of public servants from management positions in independent agencies, such as the Labour Inspection Office, as well as the appointment of persons nominated by the national or local governments. The National Trade Union Confederation Cartel Alfa subsequently lodged a complaint with the International Labour Organization (ILO) regarding a breach of ILO Convention No. 81 of 1947.
- 05 Aug 2009
Romania: Social partners call for concerted action on Global Jobs PactIn June 2009, trade union confederations and employer organisations at national level called on the government to join efforts for implementing the ‘Global Jobs Pact’, in order to counteract the effects of the global economic crisis. Most of the trade unions and employers hold the common view that openness to social dialogue with the aim of finding the best ways to maintain and create jobs would enable Romania to contribute to the success of the pact.
- 29 Jul 2009
Romania: Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Tanning and leather sector – RomaniaThe aim of this representativeness study is to identify the respective national and supranational actors (i.e. trade unions and employer organisations) in the field of industrial relations in the tanning and leather sector in Romania. In order to determine their relative importance in the sector’s industrial relations, this study will, in particular, focus on their representational quality as well as on their role in collective bargaining.
- 28 Jul 2009
Romania: Unions protest against government failure to implement anti-crisis planThe National Trade Union Confederation Cartel Alfa has started staging protests to promote effective anti-crisis measures. In addition, trade unions call for an end to the national tests for entry to secondary schools. Various trade unions have organised meetings and protests at local level, followed by a protest march in Bucharest and a general strike in early July. The unions’ demands include saving and creating jobs, and maintaining the purchasing power of workers.
- 13 Jul 2009
Romania: Tripartite social dialogue paves way for social and economic pactFollowing a protest march by some 8,000 members of the National Trade Union Bloc, Romania’s labour minister invited employer organisations and trade unions to relaunch the social dialogue process. A proposal has been made for two working groups to be set up in order to discuss the amendment of the main legislation governing industrial relations. Moreover, the minister signalled his ministry’s readiness to sign a social and economic pact for 2009 with the social partners.
- 02 Jul 2009
Romania: Romania: Multinational companies and collective bargainingThe number of MNCs in Romania has grown significantly, particularly after the year 2000.They have acquired mostly public utilities companies, manufacturing industries (cement, metal, machine building, petroleum), but also financial brokering and trade businesses.So far, no social unrest or economic events have occurred having as a specific target the public image of the MNCs operating in Romania. Generally speaking, the MNCs have not been noted as bringing any contribution to the improvement of the national collective bargaining pattern, but they did propose some best practices for the social partners.
- 01 Jun 2009
Romania: Criticism over proposed law banning combined pension and salary in public sectorDue to budget constraints, in late 2008, the Romanian government issued an emergency bill banning the combined earnings of a pension and salary in the public sector. The social partners expressed discontent with the ordinance and, in January 2009, the Constitutional Court ruled it unconstitutional. In April, the government drafted a new law permitting both state pension and salary only for pensions amounting at most to the national gross average salary of €410.
- 21 May 2009
Romania: Unions protest at ArcelorMittal Steel Galaţi’s proposed temporary unemployment measuresA month after protest actions in March 2009, steel workers’ trade union representatives picketed prefecture offices in eight Romanian counties, as well as the Ministry of Public Finance in Bucharest. Among their grievances was the decision of ArcelorMittal Steel Galaţi to close the coke plant operating in the city’s industrial park, and to force into technical unemployment all of the company’s employees, by rotation, in 10-day stages during the second quarter of 2009.
- 06 May 2009
Romania: Romania: Representativeness of the European social partners – Personal services sector - 28 Apr 2009
Romania: Romania: Wage flexibility and collective bargainingAccording to the national collective agreement, the variable part of wages is composed of bonuses and benefits. Collective bargaining at company level takes minimum conditions settled in sectoral level agreements as a starting point for negotiations, yet without imposing upper limits. From this point of view, firms have a large flexibility as they may grant more favourable rights to their employees. Until now the issue of variable payments systems (VPS) was not on the top of the agenda for social partners. As the trend of increasing wages became more pronounced and the labour shortages in various sectors and occupations increased, VPS are expected to develop.
- 28 Apr 2009
Romania: Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Hospitals – RomaniaThe aim of this representativeness study is to identify the respective national and supranational actors (i.e. trade unions and employer organisations) in the field of industrial relations in the hospital sector in Romania. In order to determine their relative importance in the sector’s industrial relations, this study will, in particular, focus on their representational quality as well as on their role in collective bargaining.
- 31 Mar 2009
Romania: Romania: Wage formationWage formation, and more specifically the setting of the minimum wage, are core subject of collective bargaining at all levels. The legal basis of wage regulation is the Romanian Labour Code. An important issue of debate was the disparity between the collectively agreed minimum wage and the minimum wage set by government decision. For the first time since four years, the two minimum wages levels for 2008 were equal. Despite a marked upward tendency of labour costs, Romania is still an attractive and competitive economy due to its cheap labour.
- 24 Mar 2009
Romania: Anti-crisis measures agreed by social partnersMeasures to support the Romanian economy were to come into effect in January 2009; however, the new government decided to agree the anti-crisis programme with the social partners first. Although the government thus brought the budget and anti-crisis measures to public knowledge as having been agreed with the social partners, the latter promptly voiced their dissatisfaction at how the programme reflects their own proposals.
- 24 Mar 2009
Romania: R & D trade unions protest to halt funding cutsDissatisfied with the funds allocated to research from the state budget, on 9 February 2009, the Trade Union Federation of Research and Design Workers in Romania called for a protest march starting from the building of the Ministry of Public Finance and ending with a daily picketing of the Romanian Parliament buildings for the duration of the debates on the 2009 state budget. As a result, the parliament approved funds equal to those for research and development in 2008.
- 11 Mar 2009
Romania: Romania: EIRO annual review – 2007In 2007 Romania took decisive steps towards strengthening and exercising its administrative capacity as a Member State of the European Union. Tuning Romania’s social partners’ concerns to the agenda of European industrial relations is in progress. The effort to aggregate organisational structures may generate new and prominent entities at EU level. The key current topic of interest in the domestic social dialogue however, continues to be the relationship between wages and pensions against price increments.
- 09 Mar 2009
Romania: Romania: The impact of the information and consultation DirectiveThe information and consultation Directive was implemented in Romania by Law no. 476/2006, which came into force on 1 January 2007. The legislation introduced, for the first time, a general, statutory system of information and consultation, which must be provided to representatives of trade unions or, where no union is present in the company, representatives elected by employees. Given the recent date of implementation, it is too early to assess the impact on Romanian industrial relations.
- 02 Mar 2009
Romania: Social partner unrest in chemical and petrochemical industriesThe global economic crisis is taking its toll on workers in the Romanian chemical and petrochemical industries. Following a wave of collective redundancies announced by several companies, which may affect more than 6,600 employees, the trade unions and employer organisations in these industrial branches have made a number of requests to the authorities. In addition, workers have staged several protests at various plants around the country.
- 02 Mar 2009
Romania: Trade unions propose anti-crisis measuresRomania’s national trade union confederations are apprehensive about the possible effects that the current economic crisis may have on employment opportunities and the purchasing power of employees’ earnings. Before the consultations between the new government and the national trade union confederations, the National Trade Union Confederation ‘Cartel Alfa’ sent an open letter to the government on 11 December 2008 proposing a plan of emergency measures.
- 12 Feb 2009
Romania: Romania: Collective bargaining and continuous vocational trainingIn Romania, the continuous vocational training system has been organised as a network of national, local and sectoral structures of the authorities in charge. On the legal and institutional sides, the tripartite vocational training system of Romania is on a par with the rest of Europe. The system, however, does not operate at maximum potential for lack of financial resources.In the new internal labour market context, with a labour force deficit, both employers and trade unions have all the reasons, therefore, to increase their effort to allocate funds and also to access funds, including the European Social Fund.
- 07 Jan 2009
Romania: Conflict of interests at Construcţii Aeronautice SAOn 15 September 2008, employees at the aviation construction company Construcţii Aeronautice SA Ghimbav (Braşov) staged a spontaneous labour stoppage which, after three days, turned into a general strike that lasted from 18 September until 2 October. After negotiations with the company’s management, the county authorities, and the Authority for State Assets Recovery (Autoritatea pentru Valorificarea Activelor Statului, AVAS), the trade unions resumed work on 2 October.
- 07 Jan 2009
Romania: Unions use World Day for Decent Work to put forward wage claimsFour 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.
- 07 Jan 2009
Romania: Employer organisations seek response to economic crisisIn November 2008, the Employer Confederation of Romanian Industry (CONPIROM) held a meeting to discuss the response of the Romanian industrial sector to the global financial crisis and economic downturn. As well as business and employer representatives, trade union leaders participated in the debate. The meeting also highlighted the creation of a new employer structure, the Alliance of Employer Organisations from Industry and Energy (APIE),to tackle the mounting challenges for the Romanian industry and energy sectors .
- 07 Jan 2009
Romania: Controversy over teachers’ pay risesIn autumn 2008, the Chamber of Deputies of the Romanian parliament passed legislation awarding a 50% pay rise to all teaching staff, with effect from 1 October 2008. With other public sector trade unions demanding similar wage increases, the government unsuccessfully challenged the law in the Constitutional Court. It then issued emergency ordinances providing for lower pay rises from 1 April 2009. Education unions threatened a strike in protest, but suspended their protests until after a new government is sworn in, following general elections on 30 November.
- 07 Jan 2009
Romania: Launch of national strategy on health and safety at work 2008–2013In October 2008, the Government of Romania (Guvernul României) approved, by decision, the National Strategy and the Action Plan regarding Health and Safety at Work for the period 2008-2013. The actions to be taken under the strategy and the action plan will be monitored by the National Tripartite Committee for Health and Safety at Work.
- 07 Jan 2009
Romania: Employers unite to form new allianceEmployer organisation mergers attempts have resulted in autumn 2008 in the creation of a new alliance. On 6 October 2008, the Alliance of Employers’ Confederations of Romania (Alianţa Confederaţiilor Patronale din România, ACPR), an umbrella for seven national employer organisations and for other four business people’s associations, together with the General Union of Romanian Industrialists 1903 (Uniunea Generală a Industriaşilor din România 1903, UGIR 1903), and the National Council of Private Small and Medium Enterprises (Consiliul Naţional al Întreprinderilor Private Mici şi Mijlocii din România, CNIPMMR) signed an agreement establishing the Alliance of the Confederations of Industrialists, Entrepreneurs and Employers from the Public Services Sector (Alianţa Confederaţiilor Industriaşilor, Întreprinzătorilor şi Angajatorilor din Servicii de Interes Public Business România, Business România).