site.btaRomanian Policemen Also Protest against Scrapping of Special Pensions

The plans for a legislative reform in Romania aimed to abolish the so-called "special pensions" aroused a wave of protests among police officers in the country. As of Monday, June 26, they will launch a three-day protest between noon and 2:00 pm in the park across Parliament, the National Union of Police and Contract Personnel (SNPPC) said on Friday.

"Parliament and the government should not ignore the fact that the pensions of Romanian military and police officers, like those of their counterparts in NATO and EU countries, date back many years and are based on the occupational risks, complexity and social importance of the missions carried out in national, European and international terms," the complainants note in their position paper to the media. They insist that the right to decent pay and a state military pension concerns everyone, whether they are at the beginning or end of their career.

"The number of leavers is increasing year on year and as a result the quality of public service provided to the benefit of the citizens, the state and the society at large continue to decline, therefore the experienced are losing faith in current policies and the young are increasingly turning their backs on these noble professions that were once in the top preferences nationally," the National Union of Police and Contract Personnel further commented. 

The bill to amend special pensions is to be voted in plenary by the Chamber of Deputies next week. The MPs have to pass the reform by the deadline of July 1 when they go into recess for the summer.

On Wednesday, thousands of Romanian magistrates suspended work in protest against the reform, which will scrap their special pensions. As a sign of protest against the planned legal amendments, they deal only with urgent cases or such involving minors.