Social dialogue must be genuine and entrepreneurs must be listened to, not just heard, and together we must find projects and funding, said Labour Minister Florin Manole.

‘It is an unusual situation for me to speak in front of so many entrepreneurs. (…) I thank you for being our partners and I believe it is important that social dialogue should be genuine, in which we listen to you, not just hear you, and together we find projects and funding. I challenge them to seek you out more than they have done so far. This is an important area within the Ministry of Labour, a ministry often perceived as one dealing only with pensions and the minimum wage, but it also covers employment, the stimulation of employees, and support for employers in bringing into the labour market people who otherwise find it difficult to enter the economy by other means. The ANOFM (National Employment Agency, editor’s note) is an institution that the ministry wishes to give special attention to during this term, by making it more visible, more active and, above all, closer to you. (…) I do not want to make a political speech here, but if Victor Negrescu (Vice-President of the European Parliament, editor’s note) spoke about European values – and he rightly said that European values are important and that a climate of functional democracy is vital not only for citizens but also for companies – then, without making a political speech, I believe that some of the social-democratic values are what unite the work and approach of SMEs and people who share my beliefs, because there are and should be no barriers or divisions between SMEs and the political class,’ said Florin Manole at the ‘National Ranking of Private Companies in Romania,’ organised by IMM Romania.

He stressed that ‘there is openness to social dialogue within the Ministry of Labour and among social partners, employers and trade unions, and that this ministry is and must remain an ally.’ AGERPRES