Teachers' salaries to reach economy average

As from January 1, 2009, the salaries of budget earners with small retribution (1-15 remuneration categories), which were raised 18% from October 1, 2008 , will be increased even more by 10 – 15%. Other budget earners (specialists and managers) will have their salaries raised 21%. As Info-Prim Neo reports, Sergiu Sainciuc, the deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce, explains this is going to be possible, after the modifications and additions approved by the Cabinet to the Law on remunerating budget earners. As many as 185,000 employees are deemed to benefit from the hike. Sainciuc says the goal is to bring the teachers' salaries to the economy average, as from April 1, 2009. It means the salaries will go up 18% compared with the level at January 1, 2009. The next hike in the teachers' salaries is planned for September 1, 2009. The young teachers will get a salary of 2,200 lei as well as the more experienced ones, but the latter ones will have additions for experience, for didactic degrees. Other 65,000 employees of kindergartens, schools and universities will get a pay rise of 72% compared with their salaries established for October 1, 2008. The deputy minister says the teachers' monthly salaries will be raised annually, depending on the economy average salary. The 2009 draft state budget envisages 600 million lei for the mentioned pay rises.