The government has linked the timeline for the public sector pay reform to the finalization of tax policy and the capacity of the state budget. This affects approximately 170,000 civil servants and public sector employees, for whom the authorities had previously announced salary increases of 10–30%. Just a few months ago, the plan was to begin the reform in September 2026, but now the Cabinet of Ministers has not specified a date.
The reform covers various categories of public sector employees, including those in education, healthcare, social services, law enforcement, and other areas. The draft bill provides not only for higher incomes but also for changes to the salary determination system itself.
Certainty regarding the implementation timeline has gradually faded. Back in March, the Federation of Education and Science Trade Unions expressed concern over reports that the reform might be postponed until December. The unions cited previously announced deadlines—the adoption of the changes in the summer and a pay raise starting in September.
In May, the Ministry of Finance reiterated that the commitment to pass a new law on wages by September 1 remained in place. In June, the draft was submitted for public consultation, and on June 26, the Ministry of Finance explicitly stated that the reform was proposed to take effect on September 1, 2026. During the same period, the Ministry of Education also announced salary increases for education workers starting in September.
In July, the timeline became less rigid. The Ministry of Labor reported that approximately 170,000 workers would receive a 10–30% raise, and these measures were scheduled to be implemented in the fall alongside a budget adjustment.
Everything changed after Alexander Munteanu resigned as prime minister and a new cabinet was formed. The finance minister, under whose leadership the new tax policy is being developed, was also replaced. Therefore, in response to trade unions' concerns about a possible postponement of the wage reform, the government stated that the entry into force of the new law on wages is contingent upon the approval of the tax policy. The authorities are finalizing the policy and promise to announce the details of the reform and its expected launch date once that is done. The reform has not been canceled, but the initial implementation schedule can no longer be considered confirmed.
The draft bill proposes significant changes to the salary structure for public sector employees. According to the Ministry of Finance, approximately 70% of monthly income should come from the base salary, while the criteria for granting bonuses are to be defined more clearly.
The system of reference values used to calculate salaries for various categories of employees is also changing. The draft provides for six reference values: 4,200, 4,700, 5,100, 5,300, 6,200, and 6,900 lei. These are not final salary amounts, but rather indicators used in their calculation.
The number of reference values is planned to be reduced from the current ten to six by 2027 and to a maximum of four by 2032. The reform itself is expected to be implemented in phases through 2032, with an interim assessment in 2029.
At the same time, the Ministry of Finance immediately set a financial cap: the public sector's wage bill must be kept within 9% of GDP. Therefore, the scope for raising salaries is directly linked to the amount of resources the government can allocate to recurring expenditures.
So far, the government has not disclosed how much the first phase of the wage increase will cost or what the total annual cost of the new system will be. Specific sources of additional funding have not been identified either.
In this context, the link to tax policy means that the final parameters of recurring additional wage expenditures must be aligned with budget revenues.
At the same time, the Federation of Education and Science Trade Unions has expressed concern over reports of a possible postponement of the salary increase expected to take effect on September 1. During negotiations with the Ministry of Education and Research, temporary compensation payments of 3,000–4,000 lei were discussed, depending on teaching load and other criteria; however, the unions believe that such payments cannot replace a permanent salary increase.
The Federation has scheduled a picket outside the government building for August 19. If the pay raise does not take effect on September 1, the unions intend to hold nationwide protests throughout the month. If their demands are not met, the Federation of Education and Science Trade Unions intends to continue its protests: it is considering declaring a "state of emergency in the education system" on October 1, and plans a nationwide protest on October 5, Teachers' Day.
Since the reform is linked to the adoption of a new tax policy, the government needs to act quickly.
To avoid social protests, the government must quickly decide on both the new tax policy and the public sector wage reform. It must specify the final cost of the reform to the budget, its funding sources, and a new launch date if the previous schedule is revised. // 12.08.2026 – InfoMarket.