Trade union activists demonstrate in Chisinau on World Day for Decent Work

Trade union activists Friday staged a demonstration in the square of the National Opera House in Chisinau on the occasion of the World Day for Decent Work, Info-Prim Neo reports. The event was organized by the National Confederation of Trade Unions of Moldova with the aim of raising awareness of society, the social partners and the country’s administration of the necessity of promoting decent work. “We want the central authorities to meet our aspirations by guaranteeing sustainable living conditions and a better future for our children. This is possible when decent work becomes a priority,” said the Confederation’s chairman Oleg Budza. He stressed that the conception of decent work in Moldova is inappropriate. “Thousands of employees have a salary below the minimum subsistence level. According to official statistics, the average monthly salary of a national economy worker is 3 262 lei, but the food and utilities absorb 80% of this sum,” stated Oleg Budza. During the event, the trade unions called on all the people, the social partners and the central administration to contribute to promoting decent work in Moldova. They submitted a series of demands aimed at ensuring decent living conditions to the authorities. The demands include setting the stages for increasing the minimum salary in the budgetary sphere up to the minimum subsistence level, adopting a new salary system for civil servants, clearing all the salary arrears, hastening the implementation of the plan of action for eradicating the practice of paying salaries ‘in envelopes’ and illegal labor. The trade unionists also demanded annulling the higher length of service needed to obtain pension, amending the legislation on mandatory health insurance so as to create cumulative personalized funds for salary earners, and increasing the allocations from the state budget for health insurance. The demonstration involved about 1 500 persons representing trade unions from all over the country. They carried placards with messages about fair work, workplaces and decent salaries. The World Day for Decent Work is marked on the suggestion of the International Labor Organization in over 130 countries. During that day trade unions, union federations and other workers associations develop their actions to promote the idea of Decent Work. Actions vary from street demonstrations to music events or conferences.