This is one of the initiatives of a draft bill by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, developed as part of the Restart reform. It aims to improve conditions within the social assistance system.
The explanatory memorandum to the draft bill describes the critical situation that has developed in the sector. Low wages (lower than in the education, culture, and agriculture sectors) have led to a severe staffing crisis.
To address the staffing shortage, the draft’s authors propose a gradual increase in wages. Specifically, they propose introducing five qualification levels, on which social workers’ salaries will depend. Salaries will increase in line with the growth of their qualification level.
The new rules will apply to social assistants, child rights protection specialists, social educators, domestic violence prevention specialists, and social service managers.
According to estimates by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, paying these qualification bonuses will require approximately 5.55 million lei in 2028, 5.48 million lei in 2029, and 3.74 million lei in 2030.
