The Cluj "Unirea" Union announced today that employees of the General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection (DGASPC) Cluj will engage in a Japanese strike on June 11, 2026. The strike, which will last the entire day, aims to draw attention to salary issues without interrupting the necessary services provided by the institution. Employees will wear white armbands on their left arms while continuing their duties, ensuring that the beneficiaries are not affected, according to the union.

Grădinariu Dragoș, President of the Cluj "Unirea" Union, stated that the form of protest was specifically chosen to avoid impacting the vulnerable individuals who depend on DGASPC's services. "Our goal is to highlight the inequities in the salary system and the lack of recognition for the complexity of our work," Dragoș said. The union claims that the new salary law project overlooks the realities of social assistance and that reducing or capping bonuses could lead to a staff shortage.

The DGASPC Cluj provides a range of critical services, including residential care for children, adults with disabilities, and individuals at risk. These services require continuous responsibility and 24/7 availability. The centers offer accommodation, food, personal care, supervision, emotional support, and various rehabilitation activities. The union emphasized that these are not ordinary administrative tasks but involve direct responsibility for the lives of vulnerable people.

According to national data from March 31, 2025, 43.59% of the beneficiaries have severe disabilities, and 44.49% have accentuated disabilities, highlighting the high complexity of the cases handled by DGASPC. The union argues that the current salary structure does not reflect the demanding nature of the work. "Professional discrimination exists within the 'Health and Social Assistance' family," the union claims, pointing out that DGASPC staff salaries are disproportionately low compared to those in the health sector.

Employees are calling for real recognition of their work's complexity, maintenance of bonuses for challenging conditions, and equitable salary coefficients for social services. They also demand the elimination of unjustified discrepancies compared to other professions and request that DGASPC management convey their grievances to the ministry. The union warns that the protest serves as a public alarm signal about the risk of destabilizing an already overloaded system, stressing that social services cannot function through the silent sacrifice of employees.