Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan says that inside the ruling coalition there were discussions on keeping the minimum wage at its current rate.
The decision was taken as in 2026 public pay will be capped, and part of it is calculated against the minimum wage, Bolojan told Antena 3 CNN private broadcaster on Thursday.
"The minimum wage, of course, is an element of discussion now, and next week, on Wednesday, we convened the Tripartite Council to discuss this aspect with the unions and employers. As you know, public pay in Romania in 2026 is capped. Or, given that certain wages in the public sector or in the private sector are calculated based on the minimum wage, any change in the minimum wage has some effects that go hand in hand with capping," the prime minister said.
He added that the additional pressures related to any increase in the minimum wage could create problems for certain types of businesses, given that there is already a contractionary effect in the economy.
"Companies have smaller room for movement and any additional pressure related to any increase of the minimum wage - which is not based on elements of productivity and aspects related to the sustainability of some businesses - generates problems for some types of businesses, in certain areas of the country. Increasing the minimum wage in IT has no effect. Or in the construction area, because pay there is much higher. But at a shoe factory, in a small county in Romania, in a more distant area, where that cost of wages is a very important element on which the viability of that business with 50 employees, 100 employees depends, a change in the minimum wage, which is not covered by an economic reality, closes that factory. We have dozens of such examples."
Bolojan also said that the ruling coalition agreed on these aspects. Also, following discussions with the economists, it emerged that the room for increasing the minimum wage is not very large, the prime minister added.
"We discussed these aspects in the coalition and by mutual agreement, I emphasise, we all agreed to try and keep the minimum wage at its current rate. Since pay is capped, let's follow the same logic, because we don't have much room to move anymore. (...) We need to see and discuss honestly with the employers, with the unions and to have all the analyses, to see whether or not there is a possibility of a minimum increase in the minimum wage. As for a decision that is based on some economic components, personally, consulting with several economists, I was told as clearly as possible: the growth space is not very large," the prime minister said.
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