About 200 Interior Ministry Unionists Picket Parliament Over Layoff Bill

05.17.2011 By Ioana Tudor

About 200 police officers on Tuesday are picketing the Parliament, calling on lawmakers to reject the Interior Ministry layoff bill.

The National Union of Police and Contracted Personnel (SNNPC) said the bill will lay off over 9,500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters, as well as terminate a series of rights to which they are entitled. In addition, unionists say, the bill is contrary to the Strategy for public order adopted by the Government through a decision in 2010.

SNNPC accused the ministry of feeding the Parliament's committees false information on the number of current police agents. The union warns that the layoffs will affect the quality of public order in Romania and even the country's accession to the Schengen Area.

On May 2, the Chamber of Deputies committees for administration and for defense decided, in the absence of members of the opposition, to approve the bill on Interior Ministry layoffs. The next day, the deputies adopted the bill by articles.

The Senate has rejected this bill and the Chamber of Deputies is the deciding house.