Rally, protest in Revolution, Victoriei squares on 12 December by National Union Bloc

The National union Bloc (BNS) will stage on 12 December a rally in Revolution Square in Bucharest, respectively a protest in Victoriei Square, yet the organisation way will be revised, following the events scheduled at the Royal Palace for the commemoration of King Mihai I, a release by the BNS sent on Friday to AGERPRES informs. 

"Out of respect to the Royal Family and to the Romanian people's history, considering the actions that are to be organised at the downtown Royal Palace for the commemoration of King Mihai, BNS decided to revise its organisation way of the rally announced for 12.12.2017, in Revolution Square. Notwithstanding, noticing the decision of the Romanian Senate to pass the OUG (Emergency Ordinance of the Gov't, ed. n.) No. 79/2017, as well as the lack of interest of the members of the Parliament to lean carefully upon the worries signaled out by the workers' representatives, alongside the representatives of the business milieu and the academic experts, the debates' delay for the amendment of Law No. 62/2011, as well as the disdain shown to the demands sent by the social partners, and the fact that some of the arrangements already taken to organising this action could not be postponed, BNS decided to stage the protest on 12.12.2017 in Bucharest in the Victoriei Square from 10:00hrs to 13:00hrs, the protest action being to be somehow narrow than initially decided," the quoted source says. 

BNS specifies that by this protest action it envisages to draw the gov't's attention to the short-term and yet medium and long-term negative effects generated by the transfer of the social contributions from employer to the employee. 

"The transfer of all social risks to the employee, and the destruction of the collective bargaining system condemns the workforce in Romania to a consolidated scarcity of the labour relations. The workers' fundamental rights are at risk, the chances for correct labour relations based on trust and mutual respect continue to demean. Solidarity is only a employees' liability, they have to show solidarity with the elders that cannot work anymore, with the children, with the socially assisted, with te liberty deprived, etc. No one will be solidary with the employees in Romania as of 01.01.2018!" notes the BNS release. 

Starting with 1 January 2018, the level of contributions paid against gross wages is to decrease by 2 percentage points, from 39.25 percent to 37.25 percent, but out of the total of 20 percentage points of the 22.75-percent contributions due by employers will switch to employees. Thus, 35 percent out of the gross wages will be social security contributions the employers withhold on behalf of the employees, while the remaining contributions incumbent on employers, namely 2.75 percent (after the transfer of 20 percentage points), will further decrease to 2.25 percent and cover unemployment, occupational accidents, sick leave and wage arrears.