site.btaRomanian Education Trade Unions Launch Petition to Repeal Sector Reforms Introduced by Bolojan's Cabinet

Education trade unions in Romania have announced in a press release that they are launching a petition to support a legislative initiative aimed at repealing a series of measures introduced by Ilie Bolojan’s Cabinet. These include increasing mandatory teaching hours, reducing hourly wages and student scholarships, and merging smaller schools.

"On behalf of the more than 250,000 employees whose interests we represent, during the daily protests outside the Ministry of Education’s building, we decided to exercise the citizens’ right to legislative initiative," the trade unions said. They added that a committee will be set up to begin collecting 100,000 signatures from eligible voters across at least a quarter of the country's counties. The aim is to support a bill that would reverse policies that "have thrown the education system into crisis."

Union representatives expressed hope that lawmakers will show the necessary political will to pass the bill in its proposed form during parliamentary debates.

"It is time for the entire political class to understand that Romania cannot overcome the crisis by sacrificing teaching staff and destabilizing the entire education system," the trade unions added.

Teachers have now been protesting outside the Ministry of Education in Bucharest for a second consecutive week. Demonstrations are ongoing and are being livestreamed. Protesters have been chanting "Resign, resign" and carrying placards that read: "Education is not an expense; it is an investment" and "Do not destroy students’ futures with senseless laws."

Teachers are calling for Education Minister Daniel David to resign and are planning a large-scale demonstration with an estimated 30,000 participants on the first day of the school year, September 8.