Trade Unions In Healthcare Set To Continue Protests
Displeased that the go-slow strike in the healthcare system, held between March 21 and 27, did not yield any result, trade unions are determined to continue protests.
Therefore, the planned warning strike, which means halting activity for two hours, will be held between April 11 and 17, while the full-blown strike in hospitals is scheduled for April 18.
Trade unions in the healthcare sector, backed by some professional associations, recently said they would stage a series of protests, which would start with a go-slow strike. Protesters were on go-slow strike between March 21 and 27, and on March 28, they voiced out their demands in the Chamber of Deputies (at the committee for healthcare issues). On March 31 and April 7, they will start picketing the Labor and Health ministries and between April 11 and 17, they will stage a warning strike. On April 18 they will go on a full-blown strike.
Healthcare employees’ demands target, among others, the enforcement of the provisions of Law 284/2010 regarding a unitary pay system in the healthcare sector too, the granting of all bonuses, calculated based on the actual wage, including the bonus for difficult working conditions, the PhD bonus, the observance of labor norms, the working time and rest time for all categories of healthcare employees, by reducing, up to the point of eliminating the staff shortage which only leads to piles of work and limited rest time. (Adevarul)
Nuclearelectrica To Shut Down Nuke For Planned Overhaul
Romanian state-owned energy producer Nuclearelectrica will temporarily shut down, after the Easter, the first of its two reactors at the nuclear power plant in Cernavoda for a scheduled overhaul of approximately 50 days, 20 days more than the usual shutdown, said company CEO Daniela Lulache.
The nuclear reactor will see additional maintenance works at the steam generator.
This is standard procedure implemented by CANDU 6-type nuclear stations worldwide, only once throughout the entire initial 30-year lifespan of a nuclear unit, depending on the analysis of technical data.
The two nuclear reactors are alternatively shut down every two years. (Romania Libera)
Central Bank Data: NPL Rate Reached 13.57% In January 2016
The non-performing loan (NPL) rate stood at 13.57% in January 2016, lower by 0.04 percentage points compared with the rate registered at the end of 2015, according to central bank data.
Compared with December 2014, the NPL rate is lower by 7.14 percentage points.
The number of natural persons registered at the Credit Bureau, who are more than 30 days late on their loan payment at banks and non-banking financial institutions, rose to 713,921 people in January, 9,675 more than in December 2015, according to central bank data.
Arrears reached RON11.03 billion in January, of which over RON4.43 billion in Romanian lei, RON4.61 billion equivalent in euro, RON1.93 billion equivalent in other currencies and RON48.4 million equivalent in dollars. (Puterea)
Romanian Lawmakers To Vote Again On New Public Television Manager
Lawmakers convene on Tuesday to vote again on a new president-general manager of the national public television.
Gigel Stirbu, president of the committee for cultural issues in the Chamber of Deputies, said liberals continue to back George Orbean, who actually is proposed by the government.
People close to the matter said social democrats continue to back Irina Radu, who is in favour of opening insolvency procedures for the public television, a measure social democrats seem to agree as well. Stirbu said liberals back the idea of insolvency as a last resort.
People close to the matter also said the necessary quorum is highly likely to be missed again on Tuesday. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Social Democrats And Liberals Endorse Bill Raising Child-Rearing Benefits
Social democrats and liberals have agreed to endorse a bill raising child-rearing benefits.
The current maximum ceiling of RON3,400 could be scrapped and the minimum benefit is expected to be raised to over RON1,000 from RON600 currently.
The government, in turn, says there is no money at the state budget to support such a measure and accused political parties of being focused only on their electoral interests.
The committee for labor issues in the Chamber of Deputies decided in early March to raise child-rearing benefits, scrapping the current maximum ceiling of RON3,400, which was replaced by 85% of the average income of the last 12 months. This amendment, however, benefits only mothers who enjoyed high wages before giving birth. To back low-income mothers as well, lawmakers decided to raise the minimum child-rearing benefits from the current RON600 to over RON1,000 (85% of the minimum gross wage), considering the minimum wage will increase to RON1,250 starting May 2016. (Adevarul)