A significant part of the museums in Romania are not participating in the jubilee edition of the Night of the Museums as a form of protest against „major, unfair, and unjustified salary disparities”.
This weekend marks the 20th anniversary of the Night of the Museums, a cause for celebration under normal circumstances, but which will likely bring about the largest protest by museums in Romania since ’89.
Museum employees are demanding a 20% salary increase, but Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu says he will not give in to blackmail and, if necessary, will call on ministers to keep the museums open.
On the other hand, Minister of Culture Raluca Turcan is siding with the dissatisfied employees and wants to grant them the requested salary increase. She has received assurances that a decision will be made in this regard during Thursday's Executive meeting, which "in reality is exclusively dependent on a decision, which is eminently political of the current coalition and the Government."
The Night of the Museums in Romania will take place on Saturday, May 18. More details about the event can be accessed HERE.
Night of the Museums 2024
The Bucharest City Museum is among those showing solidarity with the legitimate demands of the museum sector regarding the salary increase for employees in the field and will not participate in this year's Night of the Museums.
"The initial intention of the MMB was to participate, as it has done every year, by mobilizing all internal and external resources, and the museums within the MMB structure were indeed registered for the Night of the Museums. However, it is necessary for the museum sector to regain its dignity commensurate with its value and contribution to improving the quality of life for all Romanians. We see that a decision in this regard is delayed," a message posted by the museum on Facebook stated.
In solidarity with the demands of those in the museum sector are also the employees of the National Museum of Natural History "Grigore Antipa," National Museum of Art of Romania, as reported by News.ro.
The National Museum of Romanian History has announced that "due to objective reasons," it will not organize the Night of the Museums.
Museum employees' demands
Museum employees are demanding a 20% salary increase in the museum sector for any professional position, as well as the balancing of existing inequities and discriminations within the cultural sector.
The unions in the field of cultural heritage protection associated within the National Federation of Unions in Culture and Mass Media "CulturMedia" have announced that they will protest on May 18, International Museum Day, in front of the Government, accusing underfunding in the field.
"Noting the major, unfair, and unjustified salary disparities that have arisen between museum curators, researchers, conservators, restorers, and other related positions within the Ministry of Education, with salaries 20-30% higher than those with much greater responsibilities, cultural heritage managed infinitely superior, and significantly more complex work in museums under the Ministry of Culture or local authorities, generated by the global and uncorrelated systemic application of salary regulations in education, the National Commission of Museums and Collections, the specialized scientific body with advisory role in the field of movable cultural heritage of the Ministry of Culture, expresses its respect for the decision of a large and representative part of the museums in Romania not to participate this year, due to this unnatural situation, in the jubilee edition of the Night of the Museums, under the motto Night in the museums of Romania," stated the National Commission of Museums and Collections, quoted by Agerpres.
Thus, as the organization of the Night of the Museums event takes place outside of working hours and relies on the voluntary participation of personnel from museum institutions, the initiative of museum professionals in the field "is all the more legitimate."
Ciolacu is outraged and refuses to give in
Faced with this situation, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu maintains that he is also dissatisfied with many things, but it never crossed his mind to boycott children from visiting museums.
"I had a discussion with the Minister of Culture, and I am dissatisfied with many things, but it never crossed my mind to boycott children from visiting museums. From my point of view, I will appeal to them to do the job they were hired to do," said the Prime Minister on Wednesday in Constanta.
He stated that he will not respond to such blackmail.
"The most correct path is for us to sit down at the table in the coming period, and they should do their job for which they are paid, just as I am paid from my taxes and yours. I understand that it is an election year, that there are dissatisfactions, but we must have a dialogue, and I do not recall not having sat down with any category at the table, decently, and discussing point by point.
To blackmail, I officially announce that I will not respond. If necessary, I will call on other ministers, and we will take care of the museums on the Night of the Museums," Ciolacu mentioned, as cited by News.ro.
Minister Turcan hopes for a salary increase decision in Thursday's meeting
On the other hand, Minister of Culture Raluca Turcan is on the side of the dissatisfied employees and aims to grant them the requested salary increase.
"I am extremely concerned about the protest announced by the employees in the museum system in Romania on the occasion of the Night of the Museums 2024 program, and I am convinced that they have reached the end of their patience.
(...) museum and library employees received a blow when the salaries of museum and library employees working in the education system were increased by 20%, even though they all perform work requiring the same professional training and at least the same responsibilities.
Since this salary inequity occurred, I have discussed with the Minister of Finance, who assured me that the budgetary impact of approximately 59.1 million lei for 2024 is sustainable," stated Raluca Turcan to News.ro.
In addition, Turcan mentioned that she has drafted several amendments precisely to correct these inequities.
"I have managed to obtain favorable opinions from partner ministries, including the Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity. Beyond all these efforts, transforming my proposals into reality depends exclusively on a decision, which is eminently political of the current coalition and the Government. I express my hope that, as I have received assurances again, the decision will materialize tomorrow at the government meeting, so as not to jeopardize a long-awaited moment by culture lovers – 'Night of the Museums,'" Turcan added.