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Implementarea "Ordonanței trenuleț" a cauzat nemulțumiri printre polițiștii din România. Ordinul reduce salariile prin eliminarea plății pentru weekenduri și sărbători. Polițiștii protestează în orașe ca București și Constanța. Ei cer guvernului să restabilească drepturile salariale pentru orele de muncă neobișnuite, afectând motivația și condițiile de muncă.

Translation

The implementation of the "Train Ordinance" has caused dissatisfaction among police officers in Romania. The order reduces salaries by eliminating pay for weekends and holidays. Police officers are protesting in cities such as Bucharest and Constanța. They are asking the government to restore salary rights for unsocial hours, affecting motivation and working conditions.

Exercise: Text comprehension

Question 1: Why are Romanian police officers protesting?

They are protesting because a new order reduces their salaries by removing pay for weekends and holidays.

Question 2: In which cities are the police officers' protests taking place?

The protests are taking place in cities like Bucharest and Constanta.

Exercise: Vocabulary

(f.) - implementation

(f.) - dissatisfaction

(f.) - elimination

- protest

- restore

- affect

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▌08/01/2025

The recent implementation of the "Ordonanța trenuleț" in Romania has sparked significant discontent among police forces across the country, leading to widespread protests. This ordinance affects the salaries of police officers by eliminating extra pay for hours worked during weekends and holidays, causing widespread concern among the officers.

The Police Union Sidepol has announced a series of protests, initiated by officers in various Romanian counties including Ialomiţa, Constanţa, and Bucharest. The demonstrations in Ialomiţa involve the blockage of activities at the County Police Inspectorate, while Constanţa will see a picketing protest. Additionally, in the capital, Bucharest, officers have combined their protest with a blood donation campaign as a sign of solidarity and civic responsibility.

The grievances stem from the anticipated financial losses due to the ordinance. According to union representatives, the removal of weekend and holiday pay could result in a net loss of approximately 1,170 lei from officers' monthly salaries starting January 2025. The Europol Union highlighted that this reduction affects operational police officers disproportionately, affecting both their motivation and working conditions. This move is particularly troubling for officers as similar salary reductions were seen back in 2010 during a national financial crisis.

Romanian Police Nationwide Protests Over New Ordinance Romanian Police Nationwide Protests Over New Ordinance (Illustration)

Protests are also planned to extend to other regions, with officers in places like Dolj, Arad, and Călăraşi participating in a "Japanese strike"—a form of protest where work is carried out under protest conditions without official stoppage. Various police units across the country are engaging in warning measures and refusing overtime work as part of a concerted national effort to pressure the government.

The police unions have also cited growing frustration among other public sector workers, drawing parallels with ongoing protests in the prison service and threatened actions by educational and food industry employees. There is a strong sentiment within law enforcement that these financial cuts undermine their roles within national security and public order.

As the protests gather momentum, police unions have called for the government's immediate attention to rectify what they perceive as an injustice, urging the authorities to restore the remuneration rights and ensure fair compensation for their critical roles during unsociable hours.

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