Romanian PM: Govt. wants to raise minimum wage three times by 2017

The Government plans to raise the minimum wage in three steps next year so that it reaches RON 1,400 (EUR 316) by January 2017, said Prime Minister Victor Ponta. The incremental increases are easier to absorb both by the private and the public sector, Ponta added. The Government will increase the minimum wage at RON 1,200 (EUR 271) on January 1, 2016, and would also like to raise it at RON 1,300 (EUR 294) on July 1, next year, and at RON 1,400 on January 1, 2017, Ponta said, cited by local Agerpres. The Prime Minister, who spoke at a meeting of the Tripartite National Committee of Social Dialogue, added that the presented data were still not official. The minimum gross wage is currently RON 1,050 (EUR 236), which means that it should increase by a third by January 2017, if the Government’s plans materialize. More than one million Romanians are currently paid the minimum wage and should benefit from the increases. editor@romania-insider.com