November 16 (SeeNews) - The Romanian government should take into consideration the opinion of the trade unions and employers when making policies aimed at making the local labour market more competitive, the foreign investors' council (FIC) in the country said on Friday.
"We note with concern that the solutions do not seem to emerge in a coordinated way, and the legislative or public policy interventions on the labour market seem to be the result of partial conclusions drawn by several stakeholders who do not interact with each other. Such an approach, in a labor market that is already tense due to the increasing deficit, may have effects that are contrary to what is expected," FIC said in a press release.
The council noted that there are three directions of action for public policies whose separate but also cumulative effects must be weighed carefully.
The first refers to several initiatives to modify the legislative framework on the relationship between trade unions and employers, while the second is about measures to increase individual incomes. Finally, the third is about short-term and medium-term measures designed to alleviate the shortages in the labor market.
FIC also said that no law with an economic impact should be adopted without consulting the main trade unions and employers, but also the active population, so that social dialogue to become a real tool adapted to present and future needs.
"The opinion of FIC members is that the minimum wage level should not be decided administratively but be the result of negotiations between trade unions and employers on the basis of objective criteria agreed in advance and with a foreseeable timetable," the release showed.
FIC member companies represent a significant share of foreign direct investment in Romania. They have more than 130 companies with total 200,000 employees and a turnover that is equivalent to 200 million lei ($49 million/43 million euro).
1 euro=4.6639 lei)