Labour Code modified by emergency ordinance

The Government could modify the Labour Code through an emergency ordinance, PSD (Social Democrat Party) deputy chairman Sorin Oprescu on Monday said after the meeting of the Standing Delegation of the party. Oprescu explained those attending the meeting found the enforcement of the Labour Code to have experienced certain “distortions” so that the department of the party handling all the issues related to employers associations and unions would analyse the problems arisen and discuss the enforcement date of the Labour Code. The debates over the Labour Code have stirred lots of controversies and talks over the final draft of the new normative act in force since early March 2003 took almost five years to complete. After the talks were over, the Government took responsibility for the new Code before the Parliament. The representatives of the employers associations have repeatedly requested the Government to modify the new Code, arguing the enforcement of this normative act negatively impacts on the economic environment, resulting in labour productivity decline, higher taxes and a surge in black market employment. ZF