site.btaTrade Unions Protest in Bucharest Against Austerity Measures

Several trade union organizations will be protesting Wednesday in front of the government building in Bucharest against austerity measures and government policies that fuel inflation, the Romanian news media report. Among them are the National Trade Union Bloc and the National Trade Union Federation for Emergency Medical Services.

The unions are demanding an increase in the minimum wage, a halt to reforms being carried out through cuts in salaries and positions in the public sector, and a reduction in tax evasion.

The protest will start at 10:00 a.m. in Victory Square, where the government building is located, and will be followed by a protest march to Constitution Square with symbolic stops in front of the ministries responsible for the country’s economic and social policies, the National Trade Union Bloc states.

The trade union organization insists on urgent measures to stop the decline in workers’ purchasing power and to improve their living conditions. The unionists warn that the liberalization of the energy market and the increase in value-added tax have led to an annual inflation rate of 9.9%, the highest since 2010. According to union data, between 2022 and 2025 prices have risen by 46.2%.

The National Trade Union Bloc demands that the minimum gross wage be increased from RON 4,050 (EUR 796) to at least RON 4,325 (EUR 850).

To curb the excessive budget deficit, the Romanian government adopted two packages of austerity measures that raised taxes and froze wages and pensions. The government is also preparing a reform of the public administration that envisions job cuts.