Romanian teachers submit 160,000 signatures at Parliament to scrap Law 141/2025

Protest at the Palace of the Parliament

Three major education federations picketed the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest on Thursday, 25 June 2026, from 11:00 to 13:00. The protest accompanied the formal submission of a citizens’ legislative initiative backed by over 160,000 signatures. The petition seeks urgent amendments to Romania’s Education Laws and the annulment of what the unions call “destructive anti-education provisions” introduced by Law no. 141/2025.

“Over 160,000 signatures to save Romanian education. Representatives of FSLI, FSE Spiru Haret, and FNS Alma Mater (representing over 300,000 employees) will picket the Parliament (Alveola Parcului Izvor) to officially submit the over 160,000 signatures collected from you. Our goal? The urgent amendment of the Education Laws and the ANNULMENT of the destructive provisions imposed by Law no. 141/2025!”

What the unions want to reverse

The initiative, first deposited in early February 2026, targets measures contained in Law 141/2025 that the unions say have harmed both teachers and pupils. The contested law increased the mandatory teaching load, halved the hourly pay rate for classes taught beyond the norm, and raised the maximum number of pupils permitted per classroom. By demanding a return to the pre-141/2025 standards, the unions argue they are restoring conditions for a quality education system.

Class size caps and working conditions

Among the concrete demands are strict limits on class sizes: a maximum of 22 pupils in primary school and 26 in lower- and upper-secondary education. The unions also call for the reinstatement of the previous hourly pay calculation method and the old teaching norms, with a two-hour reduction for teachers holding the highest didactic grade (gradul I) and more than 25 years of service. An untaxed installation bonus equal to three base salaries is proposed for teachers willing to work in isolated or disadvantaged areas, starting from the 2026–2027 school year, conditional on a five-year commitment. Other proposals include a separate eighth-grade class organisation regardless of pupil numbers and scholarships equal to a beginner teacher’s net salary for students in double-specialisation teaching degrees or didactic master’s programmes.

Warning over early retirements

Union leaders have also highlighted how the compressed salary grid introduced by Law 141/2025 is pushing experienced staff toward early exit. The gap between entry-level and end-of-career pay has narrowed sharply, removing incentives to remain in the profession. The fixed mentoring allowance of 400 lei gross, replacing a percentage-based system, further reduces the financial reward for seniority.

“Experienced teachers, who feel wronged by the fact that they can no longer progress in salary proportionally to their years of work, will seek earlier retirement or will try to migrate to other professions.”

The unions have urged parliamentarians to debate the initiative urgently so that the 2026–2027 school year can begin under better conditions for both employees and the direct beneficiaries of the education system.