Government assumed responsibility for two laws

The draft law which regulates teachers’ salaries, in the actual format over which the Government assumed responsibility before the Parliament will not invalidate court decisions, the Prime Minister stated.

Head of the Executive Emil Boc assured that the rights won by teachers in court decisions will be respected, as the new draft law concerns the future and not the past.

The head of the Government estimates that the draft law which regulates teachers’ salaries is one of the measures Romania has to take in order to maintain economic stability.

‘We take this measure in order to assure the consolidation and the economic stability that we all expect’.

"Romania, according to the last information that we received over the last two months, will emerge from recession and is about to register economic growth. Slowly, but surely", Emil Boc declared.

The Prime Minister also stated that the transition from recession to recovery will not immediately induce a more decent life,"but this is the right track which will lead to economic growth in 2011 and 2012".

"These things are doable, unless we make mistakes and give in to the temptation of being populists for short term, with major losses which will affect our country over the medium and the long term", Emil Boc added.

As per the project regarding the Social Code, Prime Minister Emil Boc mentioned that it insists on conciliation, mediation and arbitration, as only possible solutions for labour conflicts.

"By this draft law, social society will become a real partner for social dialogue", the Prime Minister also stated.

The Opposition notifies the Constitutional Court

According to the Radio România Actualităţi reporter Amalia Bojescu, the Opposition will take different measures in order to express their discontent.

In the past if they resorted to a censure motion when the Government assumed responsibility, at the present time, the Social Liberal Union which is made up of the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Conservative Party decided that such an approach is not appropriate, as this would legitimise the Executive’s approach, which they consider unconstitutional.

That is why the USL will dispute both the salary cap law and the Code on Social Dialogue.

Head of the PSD Victor Ponta claims that the assumption of responsibility over the two laws defies teachers who have won their salary rights in court.

Victor Ponta also said that the draft law on the Code of Social Dialogue was elaborated in the absence of any dialogue with trade unions and employers.

The assumption of responsibility of the Government is unconstitutional, is illegal and it defies Romanians, whether we take the case of the teachers who have won their rights in court, whether we consider the situation of adopting the Code of Social Dialogue in the absence of any sort of dialogue.

"Practically, the code proves once again the hypocrisy of the Boc Government, as it is a code that prevents any sort of social dialogue", Victor Ponta underlined.

Conservative leader Daniel Constantin explained the reason for which the Opposition refused to attend the meeting where the Government assumed responsibility, as the three parties refused to participate in breaking the law in Romania.

"We will not attend the assumption of responsibility before the Parliament. We refuse to participate in breaking the law in Romania, or any instigation to it", Daniel Constantin insisted.

The USL will continue discussions with teachers, with health and pensioners representatives on the issues faced by these social categories.

All issues raised will be included in the economic programme of the union.

Both laws disputed by trade unions

According to the Radio România Actualităţi reporter Cătălin Purcaru, trade unions dispute the two laws in their turn and demand help from the Opposition, as the Government did not manage to have a constructive dialogue.

Teachers believe that the act by which the Government assumes responsibility over the two laws, both of them with a social impact, indicated in fact the lack of a true democracy in Romania.

They urge the Opposition to solve the problem the moment they will take over control.

"As long as everything is done by the will of one man, who lives at Cotroceni and who achieves his purposes by a group of ‘Yes men’, there is no democracy", head of the Spiru Haret federation Gheorghe Isvoranu declared.

President of Alma Mater federation Anton Hadăr insists that the reform of the education system without the necessary resources allocated from the state budget.

"Six percent would be a dream. In my opinion, it is a ‘mirage". I believe that years will pass and the six percent would still not be allocated to education, unless those who come to power, who run the country, will have the strength to make a statement.

"Access to education, a reliable system, a reform in the Romanian education system, those are practically impossible to achieve with less than three percent of GDP", Anton Hadăr mentioned.

Opposition Parliamentarians claim that, for the moment, they are nothing but prisoners in the Parliament, as the laws with great economic and social impact eluded legislative debates.

Nevertheless, the USL insists that they will solve the problem when they come to power.

Till then, the USL will file an appeal at the Constitutional Court for the two laws over which the Government assumed responsibility before the Parliament.

Translated by: Mihaela Grigoraş
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University