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The Senate plenary on Tuesday passed the public sector pay bill, with certain amendments, by a vote of 85 to 10 and 12 abstentions; the Senate is the first chamber notified.
The bill was initiated by 205 lawmakers of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE).
Labour Minister Lia Olguta Vasilescu told the plenary sitting that the pay law is aimed at correcting the system dysfunctions by applying the "equal work, equal pay" principle.
The plenary acknowledged the report drawn up by the Senate Labor Committee that amended the legislative proposal, with almost half of the tabled amendments clearing the Senate.
During Senate debates on the regulatory act, which started on Monday, PSD, ALDE and the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) backed the bill, while the National Liberal Party (PNL), the People's Movement Party (PMP) and the Save Romania Union (USR) challenged it, advocating a broad consultation of the stakeholders.
The adopted amendments include a 25 pct increase in the pay of local elected representatives who implement European funded projects; the adjustment of the pay grid of the National Tax Administration Agency's civil servants, so the new grid is similar to that of central government officials; establishing a death grant equal to 12 military pays / employee pays for military personnel and police officers and a bonus of 15 percent of the basic salary for persons with severe or significant disability.
The coefficient used for calculating the benefits of town mayors and deputy mayors was increased by one unit, so that they will collect a gross monthly pay between 7,250 and 13,050 lei, depending on the number of inhabitants of the administered territorial unit, the Senate's Labor Committee decided on Thursday.
The legislative proposal will enter the debate of the Chamber of Deputies, which is the decision-making body in this case.
