The National Confederation of Trade Unions of Moldova requests the Government and Parliament to implement more support measures for the population and the national economy now that the prices of natural gas, heat, fuels, food products and goods are higher, IPN reports.
“Even if the measures to subsidize the natural gas and heat rates covered a part of the rise in rates for household users, the lack of subsidization measures for producers following the 29.32% rise in fuel prices during 12 months of 2021 and the rise in the pries of energy resources led to a 17.46% increase in foods prices and a 12.06% increase in nonfood prices,” the Confederation says in a statement.
According to the trade unions, amid such rises, the purchasing power of the salaries and pensions decreased. The raising of the minimum pension as from October 1, 2021 and of the reference values applied to calculate pays in the public sector as of January 1, 2022 were fully outstripped by the growth pace of maintenance prices. “Regrettably, the population support measures, primarily those intended for families with children, older persons and other vulnerable groups, at the moment are insufficient and need to be supplemented with measures to stop the rise in prices,” runs the statement.
The Confederation asks the authorities to apply the new minimum guaranteed salary in the real sector of 3,500 lei, to increase the minimum state guaranteed salary by at least 200 lei and the reference values applied to calculate the salaries of employees in the public sector, to raise the salaries of employees of public health facilities, to reduce the VAT rate on national food products (bread, milk, fruit, vegetables, meat), to support the national producers by placing their products on preferential places on store shelves, etc.
If the electricity prices are also raised, the trade unions consider a mechanism to support all the residential and non-residential users should be worked out or the new electricity rates will affect all the people and companies in the country and the prices of products and services will rise again.
