Trade unions ask new government to set minimum subsistence level

The trade unions of Moldova asked the new government to fix the minimum subsistence level for different groups of salary earners and to draft a relevant bill. The given issue was raised by the vice president of the National Confederation of Trade Unions Petru Chiriac at a meeting with Vlad Filat on September 21, Info-Prim Neo reports. ““Due to the low salaries and high prices, the purchase power of different groups of employees is rather modest. We consider that a bill on the minimum subsistence level should be formulated as part of the Government's work program. Today, such issues are approved by Government decision and this is not at all convincing,” Petru Chiriac said. The National Confederation of Trade Unions insists that a minimum guaranteed subsistence level be set in the real sector. According to Chiriac, the minimum subsistence level for the second quarter of 2009 was 1,310 lei at a time when the average salary in the real sector of the economy was 900 lei, while the minimum salary in the budgetary sector - 600 lei. Petru Chiriac welcomed the constitution of the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family as there are a lot of problems concerning the workload, calculation of salaries in different sectors, etc. Another proposal submitted by the trade unions is to institute a labor arbitration tribunal. “We are dissatisfied with the work of the judicial bodies as they ignore the applications of the unfairly dismissed ordinary laborers. They do not defend the rights of the citizens, but of the employers,” Chiriac said. Chiriac spoke about the necessity of raising the lump sum payments given at the birth of the first child from 2,500 lei to 4,000 lei and of recalculating the seniority pensions once in three years. He stressed the importance of instituting the post of labor attache at Moldova's embassies so as to keep a record of the Moldovans working abroad. The Prime Minister designate Vlad Filat said that he will have one more meeting with representatives of the trade unions to consider certain things before September 25, when the new Government is set to be constituted.