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Romanian Healthcare Workers End Strike After Government Agrees to Hires
31 Jul
Summary
- Healthcare workers ended a nationwide strike after the government approved new hires.
- The strike protested job freezes and a public sector wage bill impacting bonuses.
- Romania risked losing €800 million in EU funds if the wage bill wasn't approved.
Romanian healthcare workers concluded their nationwide strike on Friday. The action, which began on Tuesday, saw about two-thirds of medical staff across 400 hospitals participate. They protested against job freezes and a new public sector wage bill slated to unify pay systems and eliminate bonuses from 2027.
The strike ended after Romania's caretaker government approved essential new hires for state hospitals facing staffing shortages. This resolution is critical as Romania must pass the public sector wage bill by the end of August to avoid forfeiting close to €800 million in European Union funds.
Lawmakers have recently approved other reforms necessary to unlock billions in EU grants, but agreement on the public sector wage bill remained elusive. The country has been in a political stalemate regarding a new government since the collapse of a coalition three months prior.
