Romania: The impact of legislative reforms on industrial relations

An important report draft by the International Labour Organization.
In the midst of the financial and economic crisis, the Romanian Government assumed responsibility before Parliament for substantial changes to labour and industrial relations legislation and institutions, primarily through Social Dialogue Law No.62/2011 and amendments to the Romanian Labour Code as provided by Law No.40/2011. These measures were among the structural reforms aimed at meeting Romania’s budget deficit reduction targets, restoring macroeconomic stability and employment growth. This paper outlines the major changes made in 2011 to the legal and institutional frameworks relating to the social partners and their activities, including collective bargaining. It considers the negative impact of the reforms on workers’ rights. In this regard, it makes an important contribution to the debate concerning Romanian labour market reforms and how best to ensure that they lead to decent job creating growth.