Ciutacu, Constantin

The Catalysts for Vocational Training [1] project was initiated in Romania by the National Trade Union Bloc (BNS), the country’s second largest union federation. It was carried out in partnership with trade unions, consultancy and training providers from Germany and Portugal, and co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF [2]) through its Sectoral Operational Programme on human resources development. The general aim of the project was to create a tran/s/ national initiative for the development of human resources and an inclusive labour market. [1] http://catalizatori.bns.ro/ [2] http://ec.europa.eu/esf/home.jsp?langId=en

The economic crisis in Romania has exacerbated the difficulties being experienced by the country’s health system, which some say is in crisis. Figures show Romania has the most poorly funded health system in Europe. Total annual health spending per Romanian resident in 2009, for example, was €310, and this had dropped from €353 in 2008. Health spending in France in 2009, for example, was ten times greater at €3,414 per person.

On 1 October 2013, Romania's National Trade Union Confederation (CNS Cartel Alfa [1]) announced on its website that daily protests would be staged by workers across the country for an indefinite period. This decision was made in response to the government’s failure to engage in true social dialogue and fulfil commitments made during its election campaign. In its website statement, CNS Cartel Alfa criticises the Romanian government for not keeping promises its members made while they were in opposition: [1] http://www.cartel-alfa.ro/

The chemical company Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea was, until 2012, the flag bearer of the Romanian chemical and petrochemical industry. It had a reputation as a national brand and had a workforce of 3,200, some based at the primary site in Râmnicu Vâlcea and the rest 60 kilometres away at the petrochemical site at the former Arpechim refinery in Piteşti.

The results of an impact study into labour legislative reforms in Romania were published on 25 January 2013. The study, carried out by a group of independent experts, was commissioned by the International Labour Organization (ILO [1]). [1] http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm#a3

The study, ‘Labour force mobility and social inclusion aspects’, was part of a project by the Office for the Monitoring of the Labour Market and Quality of Workplaces, co-financed from the European Social Fund [1] and developed by the National Trade Union Bloc (BNS [2]). The study was conducted by a group of experts coordinated by Professor Liviu Voinea, Minister of Public Finance and Professor in International Business and Economics at Bucharest’s National School of Political and Administrative Studies. The group’s findings were published in February 2012. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/european-social-fund [2] http://www.bns.ro/

The study, ‘Women and men – work and life partnership’, published by the National Institute of Statistics (INS [1]) at the end of 2012 uses data collected during various INS surveys to analyse the gender pay gap [2] in Romania. The study looks at: [1] http://www.insse.ro/ [2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/gender-pay-gap

The National Trade Union Bloc, in conjunction with the National Institute of Statistics, conducted surveys in 2010 and 2011 on working conditions, levels of satisfaction and performance at work. The subsequent report, published in 2012, provides a comparative analysis of employees’ views, focusing on working schedules, atypical work, vocational training, satisfaction at the workplace (related to evaluation and pay), and working abroad.

Romania’s national postal service, Poşta Română (CNPR [1]), is the country’s biggest postal services operator with a network of 7,100 post offices. In 2011, it employed around 33,000 worker [2] s. [1] http://www.posta-romana.ro [2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/worker

Romania’s Galaţi [1] complex steel company was known as Sidex Galaţi until 1989, and was once the largest steel works platform in south-east Europe. It was taken over by Mittal Steel, the predecessor of ArcelorMittal [2], in 2001, and at that time the plant employed 27,597 people. [1] http://www.arcelormittal.com/galati/ [2] http://www.arcelormittal.com/corp/