Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan estimated that in the next two weeks, the topic of setting the minimum wage for 2026 will be closed, underscoring that, any increase has a significant impact, given that the salary level is partly linked to the minimum wage in the public sector.
He was asked when would a decision be made regarding the next years's minimum wage level.
"Yes, in the next period, probably in two weeks, this discussion will be closed. If you recall, one of the things that have been decided for next year is the capping of salaries and pensions in the public sector. When the minimum wage increases, it has an impact, because in certain areas the wage level is linked to the minimum wage in the public sector," PM Ilie Bolojan said.
He underscored that there is an impact and that "it would be a contradiction between what has been decided so far and this increase of minimum wage, on the other hand."
"On the other hand, in the private sector, if the minimum wage were to increase, there are collective labour agreements, again, based on the minimum wage and this would have a cascading effect, which would have a heavy impact on companies. Given that we must acknowledge that these measures have had an impact on economic contradiction, you cannot, when companies are struggling, to come up with wage increases when it was established that there is a wage cap. Therefore, these are, let's say, aspects that formed the basis of a discussion of principle which we had in order to keep this minimum wage at this year's value," Bolojan said.
He was asked whether his statements rather sounded as a negative response to the option of increasing the minimum wage.
"No, it sounds as a fair response in which I explained what are the economic data, what are the constraints, what would the effects be and we need to see how we manage to put into practice this fair economic and budgetary logic, taking into account the provisions we currently have, which include an annual adjustment method for the minimum wage. But this will happen in the near future," Bolojan said.
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