The “ordering of the train”, now in discussion with employers and unions. The leaders of the coalition met and prepared new changes

The leaders of PSD, PNL and UDMR met on Friday at the Cotroceni Palace for a new round of discussions regarding the measures that will be implemented through the “train ordinance” that will be adopted by the Government at end of the year. According to the sources Digi24compared to the previous form discussed on Friday, the coalition will remove the changes aimed at students.

After 13:00 in the evening, at the Cotroceni Palace, a meeting with the employers and unions gathered in the Tripartite National Council of Social Dialogue begins.

As for the holiday vouchers, Digi24 sources say that they will not be eliminated, but a mechanism will be introduced through which the state will offer 800 lei, as long as the budget holders participate with another 800 lei.

The coalition initially wanted students to benefit from a reduced fare when traveling by train only for the distance between their hometown and the city where they study, and for the subway to be reduced from 90% to 50%. After Saturday’s discussion, the government is willing to abandon those changes. Also, the students they threatened protests.

The GEO project proposes the following changes aimed at students, with application from January 1:

• Students will benefit from the 90% discount for internal transport only on routes between their hometown and the university center where they study;
• The reduction of the rate for local transport and the metro will be reduced from 90% to 50%;
• There will be no increase in scholarships during 2025.

Subsequently, the draft ordinance foresees substantial limitations on state spending in 2025, starting from the freezing of salaries of budget workers and pensions, allowances for veterans or revolutionaries, up to the blocking of state jobs and the reduction of subsidies for political parties.

The main measures provided by the “train order”:

• in addition to freezing the pensions and salaries of budget workers
• Medical leaves – only 65% ​​of salary will be paid, not 75% as now
• Cut teaching bonuses for teachers
• State enterprises will be forced to raise the prices of services by at least the rate of inflation in 2024, if they have not already raised prices more than inflation this year.
• Suspension of payment of expenses for families requesting the repatriation of their deceased relatives abroad
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be able to resolve some money in case it considers an emergency situation or that the respective family cannot fully support the expenses.
• The decrease in the number of secretaries of state by about 50%. There are currently more than 200 money cuts for political parties: the percentage of GDP allocated will be reduced to a maximum of 0.01%, compared to 0.04% as it is now.
• Reduction of about 25% of the number of agencies
• Expenditure limitation for furniture and machinery for state institutions.