Economic entities with two-month salary arrears to employees will be liable to heavier penalties

The economic entities that will not pay salaries to employees for two months will be fined 250 to 300 minimum salaries. The Government approved the amendments to the Code of Administrative Contraventions, arguing that the overdue payment of salaries and the violation of other stipulations of the legislation on labour and labour protection lead to labour exploitation. Earlier, the Code of Administrative Contraventions provided for fines of 150 to 200 minimum salaries. Deputy Minister of Economy and Trade Sergiu Sainciuc said that sometimes the employers intentionally postpone the payment of salaries for two months and more. According to the Labour Inspectorate, the salary arrears in the past two years have been significant, but the volume of arrears is decreasing. Recently, Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev said that the managers of state-run enterprises and joint stock companies with majority state holding that will not pay the salaries in time, should be subjected to heavier fines or fired. The Premier ordered to publish the list of all the state-owned enterprises that have salary arrears by January 20. According to the information available on December 1, 2007, 448 enterprises in the real sector of the economy had salary arrears totalling 90 million lei. This is by 25 million lei less compared with the start of the last year. The agricultural enterprises account for 54% of the debts. They are followed by the companies from industry, transport and communications.