The number of labor contracts suspended after the companies reduced activity amid the state of emergency declared on March 16 has increased to about 250,000, labor minister Violeta Alexandru said on Monday, March 23, Agerpres reported. She added that the Government was ready to take new measures depending on how this situation will evolve.

The Government has committed to pay from the public budget the technical unemployment benefits for 75% of the employees sent into technical unemployment, which is expected to generate a rise in the number of suspended labor contracts.

On March 20, Violeta Alexandru said that she expected a number of 300,000 - 400,000 suspended contracts for the coming days. The official figure as of March 20 was 200,000 suspended contracts.

The labor minister added that the Government was analyzing more options to help the sectors that need support in addition to what has already been decided.

“For the moment we hope that our measures will be known as widely as possible in the country so that people can prepare their documents [and get the financial support from the Government]. I work with the labor employment bureau (ANOFM) to organize the procedures so that we can address quickly the requests we will receive,” said Alexandru.

Meanwhile, the Government has also decided to also help the individuals registered for business (PFA) and individual enterprises that have suspended their activity due to the Covid-19 crisis with direct payments in the equivalent of one minimum gross wage (per month) during the state of emergency period, the head of the prime minister’s chancellery, Ionel Danca, announced on Monday in a Facebook post.

(Photo: Violeta Alexandru Facebook Page)

editor@romania-insider.com