The public pay rise law is scheduled to be tabled in Parliament on Monday, as the Social Democrat chairman Liviu Dragnea has pledged. The draft has been postponed three times since the beginning of this month. The draft is on the PSD website, but the opposition has refused to file amendments before seeing the final form of the bill.
“We decided to table the bill on Monday. I was interested in entering the Parliament procedure after most part of the society has understood what it entails,” SocDem chairman Dragnea was saying last week.
So far, there are 30 amendments to the law filed by the PSD. Neither the Social Democrat Party’s ruling partners, ALDE, nor the opposition parties have filed any amendments. If ALDE chairman Calin Popescu Tariceanu told the press that his party would analyze the bill and would file amendments if necessary, the National Liberal Party’s interim chairwoman, Raluca Turcan revealed they didn’t take the bill seriously. “It would beat all creation to enter this flippant game of PSD, to file amendments on a bill that is moved from one another inside PSD,” Turcan stated.
“It would be better to have a bill officially and we’ll definitely file amendments,” said in his turn USR deputy Cristian Ghinea.
On the other side, the rulers fear that, after the Parliament passes the bill, it might be challenged to the Constitutional Court or sent back in Parliament by the head of state. However, the Government vowed that, despite these options, the public pay rise law would be observed and enforced as of July 1.
The Government’s draft law stipulates bold pay rises for the public employees. PM Grindeanu announced three weeks ago that the salary law will not be publicly debated, but will be assumed by the ruling coalition MPs.
At the same time, the Finance Minister Viorel Stefan stated the public salary law must stick to expenses of 25.5% out of GDP at the most, so that Romania could not exceed the 3 pc deficit.
The FinMin added that he is expecting the budgetary execution for the first trimester in order to conclude the review on the impact that the public pay rises to be enforced as of July 1 would have.
According to the new salary grid, the highest pay will go to the country’s president, RON 17,400 (gross income) per month, followed by the two speakers of the Parliament (RON 16,675), prime minister (RON 16,675) and Ombudsman (RON 15,225).
The president of the Court of Accounts, the Goverment Secretary General, the head of the Competition Council and a presidential adviser will also have a monthly wage of RON 15,225.
Ministers and the leaders of the parliamentary groups will receive RON 14,500, while senators and deputies and prefects – RON 13,050. A secretary of state will get RON 11,600.
The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church will have a salary as high as the Senate Speaker, RON 16,675, while a head of cult, metropolitan, bishop or chief rabbi will earn RON 14,500.
Bucharest General Mayor will have a gross monthly salary of RON 14,065 and a city mayor- RON 11,600.
The public salary draft also stipulates danger increments from 16% to 50% for the military, police officers and the staff working in penitentiaries.
As novelty, the new salary draft says that the meal vouchers will be replaced by annual meal allowances, worth two minimum gross wages, except for the national defense and national safety staff.