The National Trade Union Bloc (BNS) has told President Nicusor Dan that it will not accept generalised public sector job cuts, given that, in the last four years, hiring has been concentrated exclusively in bodies with strong political control and requested the urgent start of an audit of public institutions in order to correctly size human resources.

At the same time, BNS has firmly expressed its opposition to any wage cuts in the public sector that are not grounded in an objective and transparent analysis, as well as to the introduction of rudimentary taxes, such as the „tax on any bank transaction.”

A BNS delegation introduced to Dan eight essential measures for sustainably narrowing the national government deficit.

„After our letter signalling that tax and budget policies are promoted without consulting the social partners, the Presidential Administration sent on Thursday an invitation to the employers’ and trade union confederations in Romania to dialogue. Of particular concern is the position of the employers’ confederations, which refused to accept the invitation, preferring to avoid an open confrontation with the trade union partners on issues such as VAT collection, the fight against tax evasion, the grey economy and keeping about 1.5 million employees at the level of the minimum wage in the economy. Thus, today, June 16, 2025, the National Trade Union Bloc handed to the President of Romania, during talks, a complex material that suggests eight essential measures for sustainably narrowing the national government deficit.”

Among BNS’s measures are repealing Emergency Ordinance 156/2024, which restrict or suspend collective bargaining and the application of collective labour agreements already signed by the parties, seriously affecting social dialogue and workers’ rights, as well as drawing up an institutional evaluation matrix and the urgent start of an audit of public bodies in order to correctly size human resources.

„We cannot accept generalised staff cuts in the public sector, given that, in the last four years, hiring has been concentrated exclusively on bodies with strong political control.”

Implementing the milestone in the PNRR regarding the commissioning of the Authority for the Monitoring of Performance Indicators of Public Enterprises and stopping political control over the appointment of state representatives in the management of state-owned companies is another measure presented at the meeting with Dan.

BNS also suggests identifying a raft of measures that would lead to cutting government’s interest spending ; improving the collection of tax revenues, especially VAT, through the efficient use of staff from checking bodies (police, anti-fraud, services, etc.) in mixed teams acting in an integrated manner; securing uniform taxation of the professional income of individuals in order to discourage undeclared work and tax optimisation by setting up ghost companies; revision of the royalty system for the exploitation of leased natural resources.

In addition, the trade unionists requested thematic working sessions with the social partners on topics such as reorganisation of the public sector, absorption of European funds, resizing and streamlining the state apparatus.

„It is absolutely necessary for the President of Romania and the future Executive to accept the BNS proposal on the establishment of thematic working groups, at least in key areas such as European funds, public administration, justice, taxation and the labour market. Only with the support of experts from trade union organisations can consistent and effective measures be designed to narrow the government deficit and increase the collection rate, thus avoiding brutal restructuring and pay cuts.”

According to BNS, Dragos Anastasiu, presidential adviser, said „that there is no more time for ‘microsurgery’, as Romania’s financiers are waiting for concrete and immediate measures to narrow the deficit.”

„According to him, the working group set up at the level of the Presidential Administration focused exclusively on identifying solutions to narrow public spending, and the new government will adopt, to the point, the most effective measures. The President of Romania, Nicusor Dan, said that the responsibility for adopting the measures to narrow the deficit belongs to the future executive, but drew attention to the fact that Romania must present a credible plan to the European Commission by June 30.”

The BNS delegation includes Grigore Mare, deputy chair and chairman of the National Federation of Commercial Railway Cars; Cosmin Andreica, confederal secretary, chairman of the Europol Union, and Radu Soviani, expert in macroeconomic policies.

AGERPRES