Culture employees will have a Collective Labor Agreement

The negotiations for the conclusion of the Collective Labor Agreement (CCM) in the Culture sector have been successfully completed. The document, initiated by the FAIR-MediaSind Federation and negotiated with the Ministry of Culture, will be officially signed on May 12, 2025, and will produce legal effects for all workers in the field, for a period of two years, after registration with the Ministry of Labor, unionists announce.

• Intense negotiations carried out over three months

The process began on February 3, 2025, with the submission of the project by FAIR-MediaSind, and officially ended on May 6. The actual negotiations began on March 11, 2025, being carried out by a delegation led by Leonard Octavian Pădureţ, president of FAIR-MediaSind, together with Cristinel Godinac (vice president of CNSLR-Frăţia), Adrian Ionescu (vice president of FAIR-MediaSind), prof. univ. dr. Gabriel Năstase (secretary general) and lawyer Dan Iordache. On behalf of the Ministry of Culture, the discussions were coordinated by Minister Natalia Elena Intotero, together with State Secretary Andras Istvan Demeter and Undersecretary of State Mădălin Voicu.

• Essential clauses for a modern work climate

The negotiated collective agreement contains important regulations, in accordance with European standards regarding: job security; working hours and travel regime; organization of specialized committees; continuous professional training; protection of the fundamental rights of employees in culture. The document will become official once it is registered with the Ministry of Labor and published in the Official Gazette. Subsequently, within 90 days, the sectoral annexes will also be negotiated, which will contain specific provisions for the different professional categories.

• Attempts to block rejected by the Ministry of Labor

During the negotiations, FAIR-MediaSind accuses, in a statement, that it was targeted by a series of attacks and blocking maneuvers from another trade union organization, affiliated with a cartel, which challenged the federation's legal right to represent employees in the cultural sector. Its attempts to sabotage the process were firmly rejected by the Ministry of Labor. FAIR-MediaSind has already signed or is in the process of negotiating collective labor contracts in important institutions, including: Bucharest National Opera; Public Television and Radio (TVR, SRR); Agerpres; Hungarian Opera in Cluj-Napoca; National Opera and Ballet Theater in Constanţa; Theaters, philharmonics and cultural centers in Galaţi, Iaşi, Craiova, Oradea, Piteşti, Timişoara, Satu Mare, Râmnicu Vâlcea etc. FAIR-MediaSind is the legally representative organization in the fields of Culture and Mass Media in Romania, being a member of: International Federation of Journalists; International Federation of Musicians; International Federation of Actors; UNI Global UNION; European Federation of Journalists; CNSLR-Frăţia.