Teachers Threaten to Stage Nationwide Protests If Salaries Are Not Raised Starting September 1

The Trade Union Federation of Education and Science has announced protest actions after it became clear that the pay raise for educators promised to take effect on September 1 may be postponed. On August 10, the Executive Bureau of the trade union federation held an extraordinary meeting to discuss the current situation, according to Radio Moldova. Trade unions of education workers have decided to hold their first protest on August 19 in front of the government building. If salaries are not raised as of September 1, they intend to organize nationwide protests throughout the month. In addition, starting October 1, the unions are considering declaring a state of emergency in the education sector, and on October 5 – World Teachers’ Day – they plan to hold a large-scale nationwide union demonstration and boycott official events. Discontent intensified after consultations between representatives of the federation and the Ministry of Education and Research failed to yield results. During the negotiations, several options were considered, including the provision of temporary financial compensation ranging from 3,000 to 4,000 lei, depending on teaching load and other criteria, until the pay raises actually took effect. “This temporary solution cannot replace an actual salary increase effective September 1, 2026. Members of the Executive Bureau note with concern that the implementation of the salary increase promised in January 2026, effective September 1, 2026, remains in question. This situation constitutes a serious breach of the government’s obligations to employees in the education and research sectors and demonstrates a lack of respect for the teaching community,” the federation’s official statement reads. For its part, the government states that the changes in compensation are directly linked to the ongoing tax reform. The new labor compensation law is contingent upon the approval of tax policy. The government has already acted responsibly and submitted proposals for a new tax policy for consultation. Discussions are currently underway with all relevant agencies, after which decisions will be made. “In the coming days, as soon as the situation becomes clearer, the relevant agencies will issue an official statement on this matter,” said government press secretary Dumitru Ciorici. The former Munteanu government had promised a pay raise in the public sector effective September 1 when it presented the first draft of the tax reform and the labor compensation law – both documents were heavily criticized by labor unions and experts. However, the authorities announced that the measure would be suspended, explaining that this was necessary to align the draft with the new budget and tax reform recently presented.