21,000 finance workers strike as Romania faces mass layoffs threat
Romania’s Ministry of Finance faces mass protests over planned layoffs and wage reforms as unions demand urgent negotiations.
Over 21,000 public sector employees—primarily from the Ministry of Finance—are set to strike nationwide on Thursday, escalating pressure on the government to abandon proposed layoffs and revise a controversial wage law. Workers gathered outside the ministry in Bucharest on Wednesday, accusing authorities of failing to address demands for a separate pay scale and a dedicated statute for civil servants, as reported by *Digi24* .
The protests coincide with parallel demonstrations by healthcare workers, who marched from Victory Square to Parliament on Wednesday, with unions warning that the new wage law would cap or reduce salaries for more than half of employees in the sector . Meanwhile, negotiations at the Ministry of Labor continued late into Wednesday, with unions from local public administration joining talks led by Labor Minister Dragoș Pîslaru .
The unrest follows reports of planned layoffs—referred to in internal documents as *"21_od_licenciements_ministerului_de"*—which unions claim target mid-level and senior staff without clear criteria. Finance Ministry officials have not publicly confirmed the number of jobs at risk but acknowledged "structural adjustments" in response to budget constraints. The government has until Friday to present revised proposals or face an indefinite strike, union leaders warned.
21,000 finance workers strike as Romania faces mass layoffs threat
- hvg.hu
- digi24
- aktuality.sk
- denik n
- courrier international


