Trade unions in Romania are planning a potential nationwide strike to protest against economic austerity measures
In the heart of Romania, a wave of protest is building as the country's main trade union confederations gear up to challenge the government's recent fiscal and austerity measures.
The education unions have been at the forefront of this movement, staging ongoing protests since late July. They are vehemently opposing Law 141/2025, enacted on August 1, which includes increased teacher workloads, school mergers, bigger class sizes, pay cuts, and administrative burdens. The unions have threatened a boycott of autumn Baccalaureate exams and blocking the school year's start if their demands are not met. A major nationwide “Education Rally” is planned for September 8, 2025, with around 30,000 participants expected to press for the rescinding of these measures and the resignation of Education Minister Daniel David.
Meanwhile, public administration unions are protesting a proposed 20% cut in local government staffing. They argue that such cuts would cripple essential services like document issuance, social benefit management, and tax collection. Instead, they advocate for digitalization and training to improve efficiency rather than layoffs.
While a coordinated general strike across all trade union confederations has not been confirmed yet, the unions are preparing for coordinated actions. These actions will include the education federations' protests scheduled for September 8, which will be incorporated into the planned demonstrations. Weekly protests at prefecture offices are planned to begin on August 20, with the timing for these protests decided locally.
The unions are also collecting signatures for a potential general strike, aiming to protect union leaders legally in the event of court challenges. The signature collection campaign is ongoing to ensure union leaders are protected should they face legal challenges in the future.
As of mid-August 2025, these significant protest actions mainly target austerity measures in education and public administration. While the prospect of a general strike remains a possibility, large-scale rallies seem to be the most publicized mobilization at this time.
Sources: [1] Romania's Education Unions Threaten Mass Protests Over New Law (August 5, 2025) [2] Romania's Public Administration Unions Protest Proposed Staff Cuts (August 10, 2025) [3] Romania's Trade Unions Consider General Strike (August 15, 2025) [4] Romania's Unions Call for Digitalization Instead of Layoffs (August 18, 2025)
The current wave of protests in Romania, led by various trade union confederations, is centered around policy-and-legislation issues, particularly the recently enacted laws affecting education and public administration. This politics-driven general-news topic has sparked intense opposition from education unions, who are challenging the government's austerity measures and advocating for policy changes.
