The National Trade Union Bloc (BNS) does not rule out going on strike in response to government plans to cut public sector wages and lay off state employees, the trade union confederation's vice president for legal and labor relations Mircea Burlacu told AGERPRES on Friday.

'The strike will be the reaction to the drastic adjustments of the employees' incomes,' the union leader said, adding that 'protest actions are inevitable.'

Representatives of all trade union confederations are scheduled to meet on Monday morning to decide on the response plan to the austerity measures announced by the government and establish a protest timetable.

The BNS vice-president also referred to the looming layoffs in the public sector, saying that 'nothing good can be expected from the government.'

'They do not send us the package of measures in advance so that we can voice our opinion based on the constitutional prerogatives, also because they have no arguments. They don't want to let go of the people they appoint to public positions. They are poorly trained, without expertise and experience. They just entrust them with portfolios, state-owned companies, budgets. The privileged members of the political class stay unbothered in their cosy jobs,' said the union leader.

He also said he is irked that the government does not consult with the unions before making decisions and that 'the unionists are not given time for consultation so that the social partners can propose amendments and solutions to the law provisions.'

Burlacu argues that the government is just mimicking dialogue. 'It's not just that the political parties and these politicians haven't learned anything from the recent electoral turmoil, but they defy, deride and ignore us. For them, neither employees nor workers' organizations exist. They mimic social dialogue and actually don't care about our opinion,' added the union leader, who warned that the protests could turn into social uprisings.

'There is so much built-up dissatisfaction, from seeing that it is still us the ones who will continue to bear the burden, while incompetent dolts are promoted to public positions, with high pays and benefits, I believe that the protests will turn into social uprisings. They understood absolutely nothing!,' the BNS vice-president also declared.

At the Friday meeting of the Economic and Social Council, the BNS asked for the postponement of the discussion on the draft Emergency Ordinance on the public sector employees since the legal provisions regarding decision-making transparency were not respected. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Cristian Anghelache; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)