The trade union that brings together 70% of the employees working for the French retailer Carrefour in Romania went on strike on March 25, claiming that some of the employees are earning less than the minimum statutory wage in the country (some EUR 400 net) after the 10% income tax was levied on the meal vouchers under revised fiscal procedures.

Some 60% of the company’s employees are earning the minimum statutory wage (RON 3,300 or EUR 660 gross), the trade unions claim, Economica.net reported.

The employees require the company to pay higher meal vouchers (such as to cover the income tax) and a monthly public transport bonus. 

In response, the company said that the meal vouchers paid to its employees are higher than the country-wide average and underlined that its employees are given supplementary benefits: loyalty bonus for those with seniority in the company, night and weekend bonuses, bonuses for national holidays worked, private medical insurance, holiday bonuses (for Easter, Christmas), as well as bonuses for major events in their lives, such as marriage or the birth of a child, according to Economica.net.

Carrefour Romania is the third-largest retailer in Romania (after Lidl and Kaufland) with RON 14.75 billion (EUR 3 billion) revenues in 2022 and a net profit margin of only 2.2% compared to 5.5% and 5.7%, respectively, for the two leading retailers Lidl and Kaufland. 

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Carrefour Romania)