Labour Minister Florin Manole says that in one-to-one talks with employers and unions ahead of the National Tripartite Council meeting on the minimum wage, he has received proposals to cut taxation on the minimum wage and to shift some social contributions from employee to employer, according to News.ro.

Manole has already started meetings with each employers’ federation and union before this month’s Tripartite Council session.

“There are indeed maximalist proposals from some sides, but also less usual scenarios for talks in recent years. For example, IMM Romania proposed (…) that we assess a cut in taxation on the minimum wage, meaning less burden for companies and more net pay for the worker,” the minister said on Antena 3.

He added that some unions are again pushing to move contributions from employee to employer — including a proposal linked to union leader Hosu — and that all scenarios must be heard and discussed in the National Tripartite Council.

Manole said he supports “any scenario that raises citizens’ purchasing power.” In talks with employers, chambers of commerce and investors, he found that Romania’s competitiveness loss is driven first by energy costs, not necessarily by rising labour costs.

Source consulted: Labour minister says he received proposals to cut minimum-wage taxation and shift contributions from employee to employer — News.ro.

Image: Florin Manole (Wikimedia Commons, CC0).

Sources consulted: Labour minister says he received proposals to cut minimum-wage taxation and shift contributions from employee to employer — News.ro.