Wages of employees in the real sector of the national economy to increase due to base pay rise

Employees in the real sector of the national economy will get in the near future raises due to increases in the base pays. The Government has endorsed within Wednesday’s session a draft on modifying a previous decision, stipulating the increase in the base pay ratio for the first qualification category of employees with a minimum of 900 lei financial self-sufficiency. For the employees in agriculture and forestry, the salaries will amount to at least 700 lei; for the non-permanent employees in agriculture – to at least 550 lei. The new ratio is to be implemented gradually, starting June 1, 2007, depending on the financial possibilities of the employees, but not later than September 1 this year. Deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce, Sergiu Sainciuc, has previously stated that this way the minimum salary will be adjusted in the future to the minimum subsistence level “in order to cover the basic needs of the employees, and, at the same time, the state minimum payment guarantees could be also increased.” Since September 2006, employers in small enterprises with up to 9 employees and those in the agricultural units paid a minimum salary of 550 lei/month as compared to 360 lei, to the first qualification category, and the employees in the other braches of the national economy got a salary of 700 lei as compared to 550 lei previously. The decision has been made following negotiations within the National Commission for the Government-Unions-Employers Joint Negotiations and Consultations.