Trade Unions will not give up protests
https://www.ipn.md/en/trade-unions-will-not-give-up-protests-7967_963334.html
Trade unions haven’t renounced upon their intention to organise protests on February 23, related to the ceasing by the state authorities of the implementation of the Wage Law provisions starting January 1, 2007. It is expected that 7,000 persons will participate in the protests – employees from education, medicine, culture, science and others.
Head of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Moldova (CSRM) Petru Chiriac told Info-Prim Neo that he doesn’t believe in the Government’s promises concerning raises starting April 1. He said that the statements of the leaders in this sense have the only purpose to manipulate people before elections. CSRM continues to insist upon the implementation of the Wage Law, in compliance with the plan which was approved in December 2005, with the application of increases starting January 2007.
Recently state authorities assured that there would be favourable premises for applying the second stage of the Wage Law in the budgetary sector this year. In the context, the Government promised that it would raise wages for the employees in the budgetary sphere in four stages, this year. Starting April 1 the Government plans to increase the basic salaries of workers, auxiliary personnel, speciality personnel from all the branches of the social sphere, from 11% to 25%. Starting with July 1, bonuses for work experience of teachers are to be raised from 10% to 30%. Starting September 1, another increase is to be operated by the Government.
Preliminary estimates show that additionally, more than MDL 350 mln will be necessary for the Wage Fund for budgetary employees. This Fund totalled about MDL 3.8 bln, as on January 2007.
In December, the Parliament decided to suspend the implementation of the Wage Law starting on January 1, on the grounds that external shocks in 2006 and the uncertainty concerning the price of natural gas for 2007 were creating pessimist premises for the implementation of the state budget for the current year. At that moment, state leaders said that there is a deficit of about MDL 800 mln for the implementation of the Wage Law.
