Romanian Trade Unions Threaten General Strike on Oct 5 over IMF-backed Wage Bill - Media

The draft bill proposed by the government  is a key requirement in the 20-billion-euro ($29 billion) International Monetary Fund (IMF)-led agreement which Romania signed in March. The wage scheme is part of a broader reform package that includes restructuring of the public sector and overhauling the education system, for which the government has said it will seek a vote of confidence in parliament on September 15.

Policemen, medical doctors, teachers and civil servants will take part in the one-day strike, private broadcaster Realitatea TV quoted trade union heads Aurel Cornea and Vasile Marica as saying.

Romania in August revised its 2009 budget bill to match the more pessimistic projections about the country's economy made in its funding agreement with the IMF, the EU and the World Bank. Under the revision, the budget deficit forecast was raised to 7.3% of the projected gross domestic product (GDP) from an earlier 4.6% of GDP and the expected economic contraction was increased to 8.0%-8.5% from a prevoius 4.1%.

($=0.6872 euro)