On August 19, the education workers’ trade union will hold a picket to protest against attempts to replace a full salary increase for teachers with handouts in the form of compensation.
Moreover, the Education and Science Trade Union Federation (FSEȘ) has declared that nationwide strikes will begin on September 1 if the government once again refuses to honor its promise of salary increases starting from September 1. The recent negotiations with the Ministry of Education ended inconclusively: officials offered one-off compensation instead of raises, and the unions rejected this.
It should be recalled that the authorities have been promising to raise teachers’ salaries for a year now, but have repeatedly postponed fulfilling their word under various pretexts. The conflict escalated after information emerged in the public domain that the salary increase for public sector employees would once again be postponed indefinitely. On August 10, an emergency meeting was held between the FSEȘ leadership and Minister of Education Dan Perciun, but the sides failed to find a compromise.
The trade union federation called the potential postponement a “gross violation of the government’s obligations and an act of disrespect toward the teaching community.” In an official statement, the FSEȘ emphasized:
“Members of the Executive Bureau note with concern that the implementation of the salary increase promised in January 2026, effective September 1, 2026, remains uncertain. This situation constitutes a serious breach of the government’s obligations to education and science workers and an act of disrespect toward the teaching community.”
During the negotiations, the Ministry of Education proposed a temporary alternative — monthly compensations of 3,000–4,000 lei (approximately €153–204), depending on the teaching workload. However, the union categorically rejected this initiative:
“This temporary solution cannot replace the full implementation of the salary increase starting from September 1, 2026.”
What exactly prevents the ruling regime from officially raising teacher salaries is unclear. Some speculate it is European integration. Meanwhile, the unions have approved a protest calendar, as they harbor no hope for the better, having been burned by bitter experience. If the authorities do not meet their demands, pickets will take place:
August 19 — outside the government building on the day the amendments to the law on the unified pay system are considered;
September 1 — nationwide protests will begin and continue throughout the month;
October 1 — possible declaration of a state of emergency in the education system;
October 5 — on Teacher’s Day, a national peaceful protest action will be held. Teachers intend to boycott official celebratory events.
“The quality of the organization of this action will determine the scale and intensity of all subsequent protests. We are counting on the solidarity and unity of trade union members,” the Federation emphasized.
The cabinet insists it is not abandoning the reform, but emphasizes that the new pay law is directly contingent on the approval of the updated fiscal policy. Without this document, the Ministry of Finance cannot legally guarantee stable funding for increased salaries.
Prime Minister’s spokesman Dumitru Ciorici stated:
“The new pay law is closely tied to the approval of tax policy in order to ensure the necessary budgetary coverage. In the coming days, as soon as the situation becomes clear, the responsible institutions will officially present the details of the new salary law and the timelines for its implementation.”
It should be recalled that the development of the new public sector pay law began amid a severe crisis and strike sentiment among teachers, dissatisfied with the lack of indexation in the face of inflation. On August 6, Prime Minister Vasile Tofan presented a revised version of the tax changes, but no specific timelines for salary increases were announced.
The situation remains tense: teachers insist on the fulfillment of promises, while the government ties salary increases to a broader fiscal reform. If no compromise is reached, Moldova’s education system could face massive protests as early as the start of the new school year.
