Romanian customs workers escalate protests over pay reform, threaten nationwide strike
Romanian customs workers launch "excessive zeal" protests Thursday, threatening nationwide strike over pay reform
Romanian customs officials will begin a work-to-rule protest on Thursday, 28 May, applying "strict and rigorous" controls at all border crossings and internal checkpoints, the *Sindicatul Național Meridian* (SNM) announced. The union, representing workers at the *Autoritatea Vamală Română*, warns the action could trigger "significant delays" for goods and travelers, escalating to a full strike if demands over the proposed unified pay law (*legea salarizării unitare*) are not met .
The protest follows a wave of labor unrest across Romania’s public sector. Penitentiary police, organized under the *Federația Sindicatelor din Administrația Națională a Penitenciarelor* (FSANP), have already filed a complaint with the *Avocatul Poporului* (Ombudsman), urging the Constitutional Court to block the same pay reform, which they argue was drafted by the outgoing government without consultation . Meanwhile, railway unions warn of an "unprecedented crisis" in the sector, citing stalled budget negotiations for *CFR SA* and potential workforce reductions .
International strike actions intensify In Spain, Madrid’s public school teachers will begin an indefinite strike at the start of the next academic year, demanding reduced teaching loads, smaller class sizes, and pay parity with other regions . Portugal’s *AIMA* (Agency for Migration and Asylum) faces a four-day strike from 1–3 and 5 June, with workers protesting deteriorating conditions and increased workloads . In Germany, *Postbank* employees in eastern states have joined warning strikes over pay disputes, while French unions prepare for sector-wide negotiations after 70% of collective bargaining agreements were found to pay below the new *Smic* (minimum wage), set to rise 2.41% on 1 June .
Context: Pay reforms and public sector tensions The Romanian protests center on the government’s draft *legea salarizării unitare*, which unions claim fails to address wage disparities and could lead to pay cuts for some workers. The law, part of broader austerity measures, has drawn criticism from multiple sectors, including healthcare, where 177,000 doctors are already mobilizing against Spain’s proposed *Estatuto Marco* (framework law) for medical professionals . In Madrid, the regional government’s approval of 8,143 new public sector jobs—44% in healthcare and 30% in education—has done little to quell teacher unrest, with unions dismissing the hires as insufficient to meet long-term demands .

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