Serbia
There is speculation that the government may commit itself to cutting public sector jobs and freezing pay until 2011, in order to secure more help from the IMF. The IMF agreed a standby with the Serbian government earlier this year and this is now up for review. Suggestions are that job cuts will be implemented this year and could affect health, education, administration and the judiciary.
Read more at > SETimes (EN)
The government has said that current proposals for cuts in the public sector pay bill will be the last call on public sector workers. Negotiations are underway for an extension of the "Croke Park" national agreement that dates from 2010. The government has threatened to impose €1 billion in cuts if a deal isn't reached. Unions are still waiting for some of the details of the proposals but have already rejected a five-hour increase in weekly working hours. They say that they want to see details of the financial impact of any increase in working time. In the meantime over 110000 people joined
The Romanian government has signed a loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund and European Union that will mean substantial cuts in public spending, cuts in public sector jobs and a freeze on pay. Our regional officer in Romania reports that the IMF has asked the Romanian government to freeze the public sector pay bill and allocate the additional income exclusively to investments. Over the next four years, the pay bill, which has more than doubled in the last three years, must be gradually reduced from 8% to 5% of GDP. The IMF requires that the cut in the pay bill is proportional to
The FTUU trade union confederation organized a demonstration on 17 August in protest at government policies, including a public sector pay freeze, that are being imposed as a result of an agreement with the International Monetary Fund. Read more at > EPSU (EN)
