The demonstration in Bucharest came after the coalition government led by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan approved two austerity packages to reduce the budget deficit as part of reforms.
They include a 10% cut in the payroll of state institutions.
“The funds allocated to the Education Ministry have already been cut by 600 million lei (117.8 million euros). They are already being applied, that’s why we took to the streets so that the third austerity package would not be implemented by the government,” Euronews quoted one of the protesters as saying.
Demonstrators claim that the new decisions will affect working conditions in schools and universities.
“Last year in higher education, the authorities raised tuition fees,” said one of the protesting university staff. – “We are unhappy that they stopped the write-offs and blocked our income, which has been a source of development for universities, especially those based on research.
This view was echoed by Liviu-Georges Maha, rector of the A. I. Cuza University of Iasi.
“Universities generate their own revenues besides tuition fees,” he said. – When even the university’s own revenues from various sources are blocked, including salaries, then the pressure will subsequently fall solely on the state budget, and in the absence of financial resources, financing education will become increasingly difficult.”
Trade unions threaten to strike
The three education unions are expected to announce by the end of February when they will strike. In addition, the unions have launched a signature-gathering campaign in support of a citizen’s legislative initiative.
According to them, the action is aimed at canceling the measures taken by the government, which the unions call anti-education. At least 100,000 signatures need to be collected for the proposal to be submitted to parliament.
The draft budget with the new measures will be submitted to parliament by February 20.
