Over 1,500 court employees from all over the country have signed a petition demanding higher salaries, longer paid leave and the possibility of early retirement. The requests are addressed to the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Judicial Council and other competent institutions. Dunavmost reports on the petition, referring to the specialized legal portal “Lex“.
The authors of the document insist that salaries be commensurate with professional responsibility, daily workload, educational level and economic conditions in the country. Among the proposals are also a complete reform of the rank system and more adequate financial reporting of the accumulated professional experience.
They want a change in the category of work
The main emphasis of the petition is the request that the work of the administration in the courts be recognized as the second category. The employees insist that the retirement age be reduced and the paid annual leave be increased by at least 10 days. They also want a national assessment of working conditions.
According to them, any mistake can have serious consequences for the parties to cases, and prolonged workload leads to professional burnout and a number of illnesses.
Staff shortage and turnover
The document indicates increasing turnover, a large number of vacant positions, and difficulties in attracting qualified specialists. According to the officials, these problems have reached a critical point and are hindering the work of the judicial administration.
“Court employees are among the busiest and least protected workers in the public sector“, the petition states.The authors add that for years they have been taking on more and more responsibilities and compensating for the shortage of human resources, without this being sufficiently reflected in their salaries and social rights.