No agreement yet on healthcare workers’ wages in Romania

While one of the trade federations in Romania’s healthcare sector, Sanitas, claimed that an agreement was reached with the government on the wages in the sector, another one (Solidaritatea Sanitara) said that there was no written agreement and that the authorities are making misleading statements but target lower wage hikes, according to Europa Libera Romania.

Solidaritatea Sanitara announced a major rally on March 11.

Romania’s government is facing pressure from many public sectors such as healthcare, public administration, and law enforcement, in the context of an already tight budget planning for this year.

The public sector healthcare workers will get a 15% wage hike in two tranches, in March and June, the representatives of the trade union Sanitas announced on February 5 after the latest round of negotiations with the government. This comes on top of the general 5% wage hike for all the public sector employees extended by the government as of January.

Solidaritatea Sanitara argues that the government speaks of a 15% hike of the so-called “base wage” not including the bonuses, which will result in a 13.9% overall wage growth instead of 20% (including the 5% already enacted in January).

"On the government's website and in the press statements, it is said: in 2024, the payroll envelope, or the total salary expenses in health, will increase by 20%," stated Viorel Rotilă from Solidaritatea Sanitara.

Instead, during the negotiations, the government came up with a proposal to increase only the basic salaries by 20% for the year 2024, which means an average salary income of 13.9%, explained the representative of the federation.

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