Salaries of the employees of the State Hydrometeorological Service, who walked out in protest today, will increase from January 1 by 5% and from May 1 - by 9%. The provisions are contained in an amendment to the draft state budget for 2025, passed today in the second reading, IPN reports.

"The State Hydrometeorological Service is the only institution at the national level that prepares and disseminates forecasts and warnings on dangerous meteorological and hydrological weather and hydrological phenomena. It is essential that the salaries of SHS employees reflect these new requirements, imposed by law, given that additional or more complex work requires additional resources and time", says the author of the amendment, PAS member of Parliament Veronica Briceag.

According to her, the average salary within the SHS of a metrologist who monitors meteorological conditions for the provision of essential data in weather forecasting for the purposes of safety of human life constitutes 8743 lei, compared to an employee of the MoldATSA SHS, who has the same duties, but in the field of civil aviation, with an average salary of over 19 thousand lei.

"The increase in salaries will help improve the quality of life of the families of the 261 employees of the SHS, reduce absenteeism and increase the efficiency of professional work", the member of Parliament argued.

The budgetary impact of these changes is 325 thousand lei per month.

The employees of the State Hydrometeorological Service joined today's protests in front of the Parliament, in which teachers, farmers and other budget employees participated. They called for support from the authorities for decent salaries and respect for the work they do.