Negotiations for the new Salary Law have brought important changes for Education and Healthcare, the two fields where discussions were the most difficult. Hourly pay in education is set to almost double, and over 75% of Healthcare employees would benefit from salary increases.
Interim Minister of Labor, Dragoș Pîslaru, says that the project has reached an advanced stage, but its adoption now depends on political agreement.
In an interview with Digi24, Pîslaru explained that negotiations with unions and parties have allowed for the correction of several issues in the version of the Salary Law presented on July 17.
Over 75% of Healthcare employees would receive more money
In Healthcare, the new version would bring increases for more than three-quarters of employees.
"The number of people who would benefit from increases is now over three-quarters, so over 75%," said Pîslaru.
According to calculations from the Ministry of Labor, less than 18% of employees in this sector would remain in situations requiring compensatory measures.
The Minister says that negotiations with unions have progressed and that the parties are close to an agreement regarding Healthcare.
New grid for Education. Hourly pay almost doubles
However, more extensive changes are being prepared for Education. The Ministry will propose to unions a completely new salary grid, with increases for teachers in pre-university and university education.
One of the changes already discussed with parties concerns hourly pay. "We are talking about almost doubling the hourly pay. It was a proposal from the Ministry of Education, which we have already discussed with the parties," said Pîslaru.
Another measure is the differentiated management allowance, which is expected to range from 10% to 20%.
The Minister claims that these changes are trying to address issues raised by teachers and make hourly pay attractive again, so that vacant positions can be filled.
Promise made to teachers in 2023 postponed to 2028
The government is trying to find a solution for one of the main demands remaining after the teachers' strike in 2023.
Back then, the Executive promised by emergency ordinance that the salary of a beginner teacher in pre-university education would reach the level of the average gross salary in the economy.
Pîslaru says that the budget for 2027 does not allow for the implementation of this measure, so the new version under discussion foresees its introduction from 2028.
"We could not allocate such a budget because it was too costly, and we did not have these resources for 2027," explained the Minister.
The new grid for Education is expected to be phased in, and the component requested by teachers is set to take effect in 2028.
Over two-thirds of civil servants would benefit from increases
Overall, the new Salary Law would bring increases for over two-thirds of the approximately 1.2 million public sector employees, according to the Minister.
However, the budget impact for 2027 will remain within the previously set limit of 12.1 billion lei. "You cannot increase budgetary expenses in the difficult conditions we are facing," said Pîslaru.
For measures that cannot be covered next year, the solution under consideration is their phased implementation, including the activation of the new Education grid in 2028.
The decision once again reaches party leaders
Pîslaru says that the political negotiations so far have been less tense than they appeared in the public space, and that party representatives have had a "proactive" attitude in the discussions at Cotroceni.
Party leaders are set to analyze progress on Tuesday afternoon in negotiations with unions and changes made to the project.
The interim Minister of Labor maintains that the adoption of the law now depends on the "responsibility of political leaders."
Also at stake are 770 million euros from the PNRR, but Pîslaru says that the adoption of the law is important for correcting inequalities in the public salary system.