Trade unions call for setting single minimum wage in Moldova

Chisinau, 5 June /MOLDPRES/ - The National Confederation of Trade Unions (CNSM) today asked Moldova’s leadership to establish a single minimum wage on the country, amounting to 50-60 per cent of the average wage on the economy.

At a meeting today, CNSM President Oleg Budza said that the concerned amendment would help eradicate poverty. Budza subsequently requested that this minimum salary be indexed in accordance with the consumer price index level.

"Although the salaries were increased on 1 October 2014, these payments do not cover the real expenses of citizens," said the CNSM head.

Presently, the minimum wage in the public sector is 1,000 lei (about 50 euros), while the minimum wage in the real sector is 1,900 lei. According to the National Statistics Bureau, the average salary in the real sector was about 4,600 lei in last March.

Attending the event, Prime Minister Chiril Gaburici said he was informed on the fact that teachers and other employees of the public sector had low salaries. "We want to have higher wages in the country. This increase, however, cannot be separated from the economic situation of the country. We must understand this," said Gaburici.

The prime minister admitted that it was very difficult to hire people in the prime minister's cabinet, because of the small monthly remuneration. Meanwhile, Gaburici invited the participants in the meeting to familiarize with the achievements of the cabinet of ministers in the first 100 days of activity.

At the end of the meeting, CNSM Vice President Mihai Hincu said that if the government would not fulfill out the union’s claims in the next 100 days, people would protest in early September.

Also today, the trade unions asked the country's leadership to combat the phenomenon of wages in envelopes and black labour, not to allow increasing the rates on electricity and natural gas and not to introduce a single rate of income tax to individuals.

(Reporter D. Moraru, Editor L. Alcaza)