During the talks with Premier Emil Boc the trade unions asked for a rise in the minimum salary nationwide to 750 lei, whereas the Government's suggestion was its increase from 600 to 640 lei. (1 euro=4.23 lei).

According to the trade union leaders, who attended a meeting with the Head of Government on Friday, the talks about this subject but also about the pay law will continue on Monday afternoon at the headquarters of the Ministry of Labour after a preliminary consultation of the Premier with the parties in the ruling coalition.

President of the National Trade Union Bloc (BNS) Dumitru Costin said that the maintenance of the minimum salary at a low level was a masked form of maintaining tax evasion.

He emphasized the fact that about one third of the people working legally in Romania were paid very low salaries, "it is a kind of grey area as they get the remaining money in an envelope.