RO Senate passes COVID-19 bonuses for school employees

Teachers, but also the non-teaching staff in schools, in Romania's state and private education system, will receive a so-called "risk incentive" of RON 2,000 (EUR 400), respectively RON 1,500 (EUR 300) for non-teaching staff, per month, under a bill initiated by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and passed by the Senate on Monday, September 21, News.ro reported.

The bill will be subject to vote in the Chamber of Deputies, as the decision-making chamber.

The project was initiated by PSD leader Marcel Ciolacu, who argued that the new school year started amid full pandemic, leaving teachers exposed to epidemiological risk.

Initially, the project provided for the incentive to be paid only in the public education system, but the senators in the specialized commission established that the measure should also apply in the private system.

It remains unclear who would pay the incentives in this case.

No social security contributions will be attached to the stimuli.

Within 15 days from the date this law enters into force, the Government should issue the regulations for disbursing the incentives.

However, PM Ludovic Orban said on Monday morning that the Government has no money to finance such a measure.

(Photo: Cateyeperspective/ Dreamstime)