Trade unions join employers’ associations protest intentions

Agricultural trade unions may start protesting alongside the employers’ associations, if the 2013 budgetary-fiscal policy does not change. Chanting slogans have already been prepared: “We demand the VAT on farm goods stay at 8%”, “Stop sugar contraband!” “20% VAT means lost jobs and unprocessed fields”, “Don’t bankrupt agriculture”, and “We want growth, not only taxes”, reports Info-Prim Neo. The intention to join the employers’ associations was announced on Friday, July 27, by Leonid Iurasco, vice-president of the National Agricultural and Food Industry Trade Unions’ Confederation “Agroindsind”. Agricultural unions are unhappy with the fact that at the elaboration of the 2013 budgetary-fiscal policy the social partners’ proposals were not taken into account. They demand from President Nicolae Timofti not to promulgate this Law. Meanwhile, unions request Parliament Speaker Marian Lupu to convoke an extraordinary Parliamentary meeting to reexamine the budgetary-fiscal policy for 2013 and take into account the proposals of the social partners and agricultural NGOs. According to agricultural unions, the fiscal policy for 2013, proposed by the Government and adopted by the Parliament, is harmful to the State Budget, the agriculture, and to the entire economy. In their opinion, this policy will bring to the bankruptcy of most of the farmers, who were greatly affected by an unprecedented drought. “On July 31, the farmers will submit a series of requests, which we also support, to the authorities. At the protest, farmers will block several national and international roads with farming vehicles in order to attract the authorities’ attention to the stringent problems that our country’s farmers are facing”, said Leonid Iurasco. Farmers says that if authorities do not undertake proper actions, in September farmers may stage further protests on a national level.