CulturMedia calls for government intervention to avoid "financial collapse”

The CulturMedia Federation, a representative organization of cultural workers, has sent an open letter to Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, requesting the immediate intervention of the Romanian Government to resolve the funding crisis affecting cultural institutions. The union is calling for an urgent budget correction or the application of "any other legal mechanism” that would guarantee the full and timely payment of salaries by the end of 2025. CulturMedia draws attention to the fact that the lack of funding endangers the functioning of public cultural institutions and the fundamental rights of employees. "Culture is not a luxury, but the pillar of national identity. Those who serve it deserve respect, predictability and, above all, respect for the law and human dignity,” the letter to the Government states. The trade unionists consider it unacceptable that, instead of budgetary solutions, the Ministry of Culture has sent a circular to subordinate institutions suggesting the use of unpaid leave as a way to cover the salary deficit.

• Accusations of "unqualified abuse”

According to CulturMedia, the circular issued by the Ministry of Culture, "under the pretext of financial difficulties”, urges managers to resort to the "extreme solution” of unpaid leave. "Underneath this neutral wording lies an unqualified abuse. Unpaid leave is an employee's right, not an obligation!”,

the federation emphasizes. The trade unionists state that the situation represents "a dangerous precedent”, since a state ministry "instead of ensuring compliance with the law, becomes an instigator of its violation”. "Lack of funds cannot, under any circumstances, constitute a justification for violating labor legislation. Any attempt to force a worker to accept such a measure represents an abuse of rights," the organization states. CulturMedia invokes the Romanian Constitution, the Labor Code and the Conventions of the International Labor Organization, emphasizing that the right to salary and social protection are guaranteed by law and international treaties. "Suggesting that employees must bear the consequences of poor budget management, giving up a fundamental right, is not only unacceptable, but also dangerous," states the document sent to the Government. The union believes that salary is the consideration for the work done and often the only source of subsistence for cultural workers, which is why the state has the obligation to guarantee its payment regardless of the budgetary context. CulturMedia demands the immediate withdrawal of the circular considered illegal, as well as the transmission of a new official communication that reaffirms the obligation of cultural institutions to comply with the Labor Code. The union also demands: the initiation of a rigorous control on the substantiation of the 2025 budgets; the assessment of the managerial capacity of those responsible for the current crisis; and the creation of a predictable and sustainable mechanism for financing culture, in order to avoid "humiliating and illegal situations” in the future. "We expect concrete actions that demonstrate that the Romanian Government is a guarantor of the law and a real partner of workers, not a passive spectator to the erosion of the rule of law”,

transmits CulturMedia at the end of the letter.

• Budgets approved, but insufficient funds

The union draws attention to the fact that the budgets of cultural institutions for 2025 have already been approved, and the existence of a deficit raises questions about the way in which they were substantiated. The government is called upon "to promptly verify whether the necessary funds were correctly estimated and requested by the credit officers”. The current crisis, say CulturMedia representatives, is not only a financial one, but also one of trust in the governance and administration of public resources in the cultural sector.