Moldovan trade union confederation wants 30-per-cent pay rise for policemen

Chisinau, 7 December /MOLDPRES/- The “Sindlex” National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova requested that state authorities increase policemen’s salaries by 30 per cent.

The head of the confederation, Mihai Lascu said during a news conference today that despite the austere budget, state authorities must find the necessary financial resources to increase the monthly salaries of police officers. He added that this responsibility should not be placed on the Interior Ministry.

According to Lascu, the salary rise will lower corruption risks among policemen. “The legislation in force sees that policemen cannot hold other activities, therefore, the salary is their only source of income,” Lascu said. He added that policemen would start protests if they did not get a pay rise.

Mihail Lascu noted that the monthly average salary of a beginner Moldovan police officer stands at approximately 4,000 lei (200 euros), while a police sub-officer receives 2,000 lei. At the same time, Romanian, Bulgarian, Croatian policemen and police workers from the Baltic States receive from 500 to 1,000 euros per month. Spanish and Hungarian policemen’s salaries reach 1,500 euros; Dutch policemen receive 2,500 euros per month.

Lascu also emphasized that the confederation succeeded for the first time in six years to stop policemen from being forced to work without remuneration. “Thanks to the efforts taken by acting Interior Minister Oleg Balan, authorities allotted 10 million lei from the 2015 state budget to remunerate policemen for the additional work hours during protests. I used to file a petition and ask authorities every year to pay policemen for the additional work hours, however, I was always receiving a refusal on grounds of lack of money in the country,” Lascu said.

(Reporter D. Moraru, Editor A. Raileanu)