The union is also calling for an independent review of the reform’s rationale and explanations regarding the information used in discussions with the European Commission.
According to a response from the Ministry of Labor, 7,435 of the 13,465 affected institutions submitted salary data for 2025. This means that reports from 6,030 institutions are missing. The Ministry also noted the possibility that the database may contain erroneous information. However, the figure of approximately 55% refers to the number of institutions that reported, not to the proportion of employees covered by the collected data.
SAALG: “Such a situation calls for an explanation”
Based on these data, SAALG is calling on the government to explain the methodology used to calculate the reform’s impact on different categories of employees.
“Such a situation calls for an explanation commensurate with the claims with which the reform was presented to the public,” the union states.
SAALG raises questions about how wage inequities were identified and how the effects of potential changes to coefficients, bonuses, and other wage mechanisms were calculated.
The union also requests an explanation as to whether the missing information was supplemented from other sources and who validated the results subsequently used in the decision-making process.
“Government officials have asked for trust, patience, and acceptance of decisions that affect people’s lives. Now they must demonstrate the rigor they applied to their own work,” the SAALG statement reads.
The union is also seeking explanations regarding the negotiations with Brussels
Another issue raised by the organization concerns the information that reportedly formed the basis of discussions with the European Commission regarding the pay reform.
SAALG is asking the government to specify which simulations and estimates were sent to Brussels, who validated them, and whether European Commission representatives were informed about the completeness of the pay reports and any potential risks of error.
“If the government had an alternative, complete, and verified basis, it must identify it and publish the methodology,” the union asserts.
The union is calling for the publication of the supporting documents and simulations used for the project, the data sources, and the coverage rates for the various occupational groups. The organization is also requesting the presentation of the documents submitted to the European Commission and the comments received, while respecting information that is confidential under the law.
“Government officials, publish the calculations!”
The union also calls for an independent review of how the reform was justified, the results of which should be presented to the social partners before any new decisions regarding pay are adopted.
SAALG also calls for the determination of potential responsibilities for the failure to collect data, possible errors, and the use of estimates that the union considers insufficiently substantiated. The organization maintains that, in cases where it is demonstrated that decision-makers were aware of the shortcomings and presented unverified conclusions as facts, political accountability must also be assumed.
The organization’s president, Noni-Emil Iordache, states that public sector employees must be able to verify the data on which decisions affecting their incomes are based.
“Over a million workers have the right to know how much of the announced reform was based on calculations and how much was improvisation; they have the right to fair pay, predictability, and a dialogue in which documents can be examined before decisions are presented as inevitable. “Members of the government, publish the calculations! You’ve made enough statements already,” said Noni-Emil Iordache.