Reacting to last week’s announcement by Romanian Prime Minister Ludovic Orban that the government is working on a cost-saving measure in which all public employees will be on unpaid leave for half of every month, Temesvár/Timișoara mayor Nicolae Robu said that he will continue to work, whether he is paid or not.
“As far as I’m concerned, I will only remain at home if the [government] ordnance forbids me to come to work. Otherwise, I will continue to come to work even unpaid because I have a duty towards Temesvár and its citizens,” Robu told local news portal tion.ro.
The government’s cost-saving plan would involve employees of central and local administrations and all others in the public sector being on technical unemployment for half of every month.
“Half of employees will work 15 days and remain in the equivalent of technical unemployment for the other 15 days,” Orban said about the government’s plan.
According to current regulations, the mayor of Temesvár has a salary equivalent to nine times the national minimum wage, which currently equates to RON 20,070 (€4,147).
Title image: Temesvár mayor Nicolae Robu.
