Ilie Bolojan decides to fire 178 Senate employees

The President of the Senate, Ilie Bolojan, announced yesterday a broad institutional reform plan that will reduce the total number of positions in the Senate from 796 to 618, involving the firing of 178 employees. These measures are part of a strategy aimed at modernizing the functioning of the Senate, increasing the efficiency of the legislative process and reducing the waste of public resources.

The new organizational chart proposed by Bolojan limits the permanent employment that has proliferated in previous electoral cycles. "In the Senate, instead of people who are in the offices of dignitaries coming with them and leaving with them (...), direct employment for an indefinite period was possible. Throughout the electoral cycles, there have been hirings upon hirings and we have reached a situation where a person holding a leadership position in the Senate cannot bring in any collaborators," declared the Senate President, at a press conference organized at the Palace of Parliament.

According to him, the restructuring aims to eliminate positions that are not justified, while ensuring a correctly sized and professional staff. "We need correctly sized staff, we must have professional staff in such a way that we do not waste public money. Everywhere, where the number of execution positions will be lower than the current one, according to the law, competitions will be organized," emphasized Ilie Bolojan, who specified that the reorganization will be approved in February and will be completed by the end of March.

Among the complementary measures announced by the Senate President are the 20% reduction in fuel quotas for the Senate vehicle fleet and the implementation of an electronic timekeeping system, designed to more efficiently monitor the presence of employees at work.

The restructuring plan has generated strong reactions from Senate employees. A spontaneous protest took place yesterday following the Senate president's announcement. The employees claimed that they ensure the continuity and expertise necessary for the institution to function. Some of the protesters threatened to go to court to challenge the decision.

Senate workers' unions have also criticized the reforms. "Without proper consultation with the unions, without a broad analysis of the complexity of the institutional activity, the president and secretary general of the Senate intend to reduce approximately 200 positions," they said in a statement. The unions are demanding transparent criteria and respect for employees' rights in the reorganization process.