Strike at the Ministry of Culture

Culture needs funding, and so do the people working in this field. Employees of the Ministry of Culture and those in the County Cultural Directorates are going on a one-week Japanese strike, announced the Culturalia Union affiliated with the National Trade Union Block: "The Culturalia Union resorts to this form of protest because the Romanian Government must understand that we cannot continue with this indifference towards the employees of the Ministry of Culture and the employees of the County Cultural Directorates. The members of the Culturalia Union deserve to have the same rights as colleagues from other institutions, given that absolutely nothing differentiates us professionally, only our salaries! Unfortunately, we have the same obligations. We will continue to make ourselves heard through these protests because, yes, we are few and "unimportant,' but we will also have a say soon. Perhaps when we refuse to issue approvals or organize Culture Day or many other nationally important events." According to them, the cultural sector has not been a priority for the Romanian state for a long time, although it is provided for in the National Defense Strategy. Employees of the Ministry of Culture and those working in the County Cultural Directorates have been wearing white armbands since yesterday "as a sign of dissatisfaction with discriminatory salary policies and non-compliance with court decisions. From next week, we will stand in front of institutions until our demands are heard." They have outlined the salaries of employees in other ministries: "An employee at the Ministry of Culture compared to another colleague, let's say from the Ministry of Labor or the Ministry of the Environment, has the following basic salary: Senior counselor grade 5 at the Ministry of Culture: 8,195 lei gross + other allowances; At the Ministry of Environment: 15,104 lei + other legal allowances; At the Ministry of Labor: 10,243 lei + other legal allowances. County Directorates - Senior counselor 5 - 10,079 lei County Agriculture Directorate Sălaj: 6,109 lei; 12,626 lei Local Taxes and Fees Directorate S3; 11,675 lei Bucharest Municipality; 6,109 lei County Cultural Directorates." Salary comparisons could be made in various directions, but for now, only upwards.