Salaries in the public sector will have to increase based on a mechanism determined by the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Finance, taking into account economic growth, the inflation rate, and the budgetary framework, said Florin Manole, Minister of Labor, Family, Youth, and Social Solidarity, on Antena 3 on Wednesday.

"Salaries in the public sector will also have to increase. A pay increase mechanism based on an amount that the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Finance will set in relation to, for example, economic growth, the inflation rate, and the budget we have available—and that Romania can afford to spend in this area," the Minister of Labor stated.

According to him, the main increases in the public sector should be for those with the lowest wages.

"The main objective was not to introduce very large increases. My hope is that the main increases will be in the base range, for those with the lowest wages who often bear the brunt of the burden in both the healthcare and education systems, in the context of the wage law. If situations are identified—and so far few have been identified—where some incomes have fallen far outside the previous pay scale, they will be frozen, but not reduced," Manole added.

The Minister of Investments and European Projects, Dragoş Pîslaru, stated on April 9 that it is important for the draft salary law to be adopted this year in order to establish a "target" for addressing inequities in the public sector, noting that implementation could take several years.

"On the pay front, it is obviously important to understand—including with the European Commission—that the Commission wants to see Romania continue this fiscal consolidation, so we are discussing a fiscal space that will be limited by the resources we have available. There is a percentage of gross domestic product that is intended to reflect personnel expenses. As GDP grows, obviously, the fiscal space for personnel expenses increases. “And so, it is very important that we adopt the bill this year, to have a target for how inequities in the administration might be resolved, what salaries might look like, comparisons between occupational groups, and what the coefficients might be,” stated Pîslaru, when asked about the fact that the adoption of a new salary law is a milestone in the PNRR and the budget deficit would not support its implementation.

According to the schedule, Pîslaru added, the draft will very soon be put up for debate by the Ministry of Labor, following discussions with occupational groups and the Ministry of Finance.

AGERPRES