On January 30, 2025, the first meeting of the National Commission for Consultations and Collective Bargaining (CNCNC) of the current year took place. The members of the commission discussed several issues, including the approval of the Commission’s Plan for the first semester of 2025, the implementation of provisions from Law no. 305/2024 for the amendment of Law no. 270/2018 on the unified salary system in the budgetary sector, the proposal to initiate the ratification of ILO Convention no. 189 regarding domestic workers, and the review of the minimum wage.

During the meeting, the CNSM reiterated the need to re-examine the minimum wage, aiming for it to be set at 8050 lei starting January 1, 2026, to ensure compliance with the EU Directive 2022/2041 on adequate minimum wages within the European Union. The increase in the minimum wage is necessary due to the energy crisis, which leads to rising prices of goods and services. Although the government provides compensations for vulnerable citizens, they will not be sufficient to mitigate the rising costs of goods, especially those essential to daily life.

Trade unionists emphasized that, starting from January 1, 2025, the net minimum wage is only 4701.40 lei, covering just 77.9% of the minimum living wage for a worker and one child, and does not ensure the maintenance of purchasing power in light of increasing tariffs and product prices.

Regarding this issue, it is worth noting that, according to the CNCNC minutes from January 26, 2024, the technical group responsible for adjusting the minimum wage was scheduled to meet at least once every three weeks, with the objective of presenting a proposed mechanism by June 2024. This mechanism would set out the steps to be taken annually for the next 3-4 years, so that Moldova can comply with the Directive’s provisions. However, this has not been realized.

Igor Zubcu, CNSM president, appreciated the Government’s openness to foster the development of social dialogue by organizing CNCNC meetings quarterly, emphasizing that the issue of reviewing the minimum wage should be addressed at each commission meeting. Furthermore, the trade union leader highlighted the need for continuous evaluation and monitoring of how decisions made by the National Commission for Consultations and Collective Bargaining are being implemented.

The members of the National Commission for Consultations and Collective Bargaining approved the Activity Plan for the first semester of 2025. The CNSM presented several concrete proposals, including: the reexamination of the minimum wage, changes to the legislation on salary systems (Law no. 270/2018 and Law no. 847/2002), public sector wage policies, the respect for collective agreements and collective labor contracts, amendments to Law no. 166/2017 on meal vouchers, CNSM proposals regarding the fiscal and customs policy for 2026, and changes to Law no. 156/1998 on the public pension system.

Polina Fisticanu, head of the Social-Economic Protection Department of the CNSM, discussed the opportunity of ratifying ILO Convention No. 189/2011 concerning domestic workers. The Convention sets forth measures that ratifying states should take to ensure equal treatment between domestic workers and other workers regarding working hours, overtime pay, rest periods, and annual paid leave, in accordance with national laws, regulations, or collective agreements, while considering the specific nature of domestic work. To date, the Convention has been ratified by 38 countries.

During the meeting, leaders of national sectoral trade unions, Ghenadie Donos, president of the Federation of Education and Science Trade Unions, and Vlad Canțîr, president of the Federation of Public Service Employees’ Unions of Moldova (SINDASP), raised issues regarding the salary system in the public sector and the inequalities that still exist concerning trade unionists in education and public administration.

It is important to note that the National Commission for Consultations and Collective Bargaining, along with branch/territorial commissions, represents autonomous tripartite structures of public interest in social partnership. They meet to consult and make proposals regarding labor issues and socio-economic problems of national, sectoral, and territorial interest, promote social partnership at all levels, and ensure the participation of civil society in promoting national policies.

The video broadcast, with interventions from all participants in the National Commission for Consultations and Collective Bargaining meeting of January 30, 2025, can be viewed on the CNSM’s Facebook page.