Dumitru Costin, the head of the National Trade Union Bloc (BNS), stated that the minimum wage in Romania, set at 4,050 lei gross, generates gray labor, causing situations where employees supplement their income with 'envelope' money. Costin emphasizes that a significant percentage of employees, including those with full-time and part-time contracts, are paid the minimum wage, which affects the incomes of local communities. In some counties, 1 in 3 employees receives the minimum wage, leading to requests for transfers from the state budget.
Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan will discuss the minimum wage for next year at the National Tripartite Council, and the Minister of Labor, Florin Manole, has supported its increase, considering it necessary for the Romanian economy. Trade unionists threaten protests if the minimum wage is frozen.