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Title: Haiti Human Rights Practices, 1995
Author: U.S. Department of State
Date: March 1996
MOLDOVA
Moldova gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. In 1994
it adopted a Constitution which provides for a multiparty,
representative government with power divided among a president, cabinet,
parliament, and judiciary. Multiparty elections were held in February
1994; independent observers considered them generally free and fair.
The Democratic Agrarian Party achieved a majority and formed a new
government with Andrei Sangheli as Prime Minister, a post he has held
since 1992. The Democratic Agrarian Party lost its majority in August
when 11 of its members joined a new party formed by President Mircea
Snegur, the Party of Renewal and Conciliation. The alliance of the
Socialist Party and the Movement for Equal Rights (Unitatea-Edinstvo)
generally has voted with the Democratic Agrarian Party.
Moldova remains divided, with mostly Slavic separatists controlling the
Transdniester region. This separatist movement, though unwilling to
accept the political and economic implications of Moldovan independence,
has entered negotiations with the Government on the possibility of a
special political status for the region. Progress was blocked, however,
by the separatists' demands for "statehood" and the creation of a
confederation of two equal states. The Organization of Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Russian Federation act as mediators
and were joined by Ukraine this year. Transdniester authorities
continued to commit human rights abuses. The two sides have generally
observed the cease-fire of July 1992, which ended armed conflict between
them. The Modovan Government successfully resolved a conflict involving
a separatist movement led by the Gagauz (Christian Turkic) minority in
the southern part of the country by granting the region local autonomy.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has responsibility for the police. The
Ministry of National Security controls the other security organizations.
The Constitution assigns to Parliament the authority to investigate the
activities of these ministries to ensure they comply with legislation in
effect, and Parliament has excercised this authority on several
occasions. Some members of the security forces committed human rights
abuses.
Moldova continued to make progress in economic reform. A privatization
program based on vouchers issued to all citizens is virtually complete.
However, the economy is largely based on agriculture, and agricultural
privatization continues to lag behind. In February Parliament passed a
law slowing the conversion of land belonging to agricultural collectives
into private property. Approximately 75 percent of collective farms
have become joint stock companies, with shares being issued to
collective farmers. Some 27,000 Moldovans registered as private farmers
but the total number of private farmers is estimated to be from 47,000
to 50,000. The per capita gross domestic product is $367.
The Government generally respected the human rights of its citizens,
however, there were problems in some areas. The police occasionally
beat some detainees and prisoners. The new Constitution improved
protection for basic human rights but incorporated language potentially
limiting the activities of political parties and the press, especially
Article 32, which forbids "contesting or defaming the State and the
people," and Article 41, which declares unconstitutional parties that
militate against the sovereignty, independence, and territorial
integrity of Moldova. Addressing a minority concern, the new
Constitution provides parents with the right to choose the language of
education for their children. A 1995 judicial reform created a
Constitutional Court and a system of appellate courts; however, the
appellate court system is not yet in place. Although the Constitution
provides for an independent judiciary, the prosecutor's office still has
undue influence over the judiciary. Security forces monitor political
opposition members and use unauthorized wiretaps.
RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Section 1 Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom
from:
a. Political and Other Extrajudicial Killing
There were no verified reports of politically motivated killings either
in Moldova or its separatist region. Information from the Transdniester
region is, however, limited. In September Moldovan authorities claimed
that, since the beginning of the year 459 victims of violence have been
buried in unmarked graves in a cemetery in Tiraspol, the capital of the
separatist region.
b. Disappearance
There were no reports of politically motivated disappearances.
c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment
There were no allegations of torture of civil or criminal prisoners by
Moldovan authorities, but there were credible reports that police
sometimes beat prisoners or suspects.
Conditions are harsh in most prisons. They are especially harsh in
prisons used to hold people awaiting trial or sentencing. These prisons
especially suffer from overcrowding, bad ventilation, and a lack of
recreational and rehabilitation facilities. Conditions for those
serving sentences are only marginally better. Jailers sometimes
tolerate prisoners abusing other prisoners and occasionally beat
prisoners themselves, ostensibly for disciplinary reasons. Following a
recommendation by the Council of Europe, responsibility for prisons is
being transferred from the Ministry of the Interior to the Ministry of
Justice.
In the Transdniester region, four Moldovans, whose trial was criticized
by international human rights organizations as flawed, are still serving
their sentences. They have been allowed regular access to their
families. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which
visited these prisoners, on two occasions (1992 and 1993) in Tiraspol,
was denied the possibility to repeat such visits despite numerous
representations, most recently in July, to the Tiraspol authorities.
However, the local Helsinki Watch chapter was able to visit one of the
prisoners in March. In September a group of Moldovan doctors was
allowed to examine all four prisoners. The doctors found that three of
the four were debilitated enough for them to recommend that they be
hospitalized. They noted that the prisoners' refusal to accept
medication apart from that brought to them by their families may have
contributed to their decline.
d. Arbitrary Arrest, Detention, or Exile
The former Soviet Code on Penal Procedure remains in force with some
amendments. Prosecutors issue arrest warrants. Under the new
Constitution, a suspect may be detained without charge for 24 hours.
The suspect is normally allowed family visits during this period. The
24-hour time limit appeared to be generally respected. If charged, a
suspect may be released pending trial. There is no system of bail, but
in some cases a friend or relative, in order to arrange release, may
give a written undertaking that the accused will appear for trial.
Suspects accused of violent or serious crimes are generally not released
before trial. The new Constitution permits pretrial arrest for an
initial period of 30 days, which may be extended to 6 months. The
accused has the right under the new Constitution to a hearing before a
court regarding the legality of his arrest. In exceptional cases,
Parliament may approve extension of pretrial detention on an individual
basis up to 12 months. According to figures of the Ministry of Internal
Affairs, 9,985 people are in detention in facilities designed to hold
12,400. However, foreign diplomats who visited one detention facility
believed it to be overcrowded.
According to the new Constitution, a detained person must be informed
immediately of the reason for his arrest, and he must be made aware of
charges against him "as quickly as possible." The accused is provided
the right to a defense attorney throughout the entire process, and the
attorney must be present when the charges are brought. If the defendant
cannot afford an attorney, the State will provide one. In practice, the
State sometimes impedes access to lawyers or provides a lawyer who is
less than competent or energetic.
e. Denial of Fair Public Trial
The independence of the judiciary has increased since the dissolution of
the Soviet Union. The Constitution provides that the President, on the
nomination of an expert judicial body, the Superior Council of
Magistrates, appoints judges for an initial period of 5 years. They may
be reappointed for a subsequent 10 years, after which they serve until
retirement age. This provision for judicial tenure is designed to
increase judicial independence.
The 1995 judicial reforms approved by Parliament were not fully
implemented. The reforms created a Constitutional Court to deal with
constitutional issues and a system of appeals courts. The reforms call
for district courts of the first instance and three regional appeals
courts or courts of the second instance. There will be a higher appeals
court as well as the final court of appeal, the Supreme Court. But
staffs for the appeals courts have not been named nor facilities
provided. The Supreme Court supervises and reviews the activities of
the lower courts. By law, defendants in criminal cases are presumed
innocent. In practice, prosecutors' recommendations still carry
considerable weight and limit defendants' right to a presumption of
innocence.
Generally, trials are open to the public. Defendants have the right to
attend proceedings, confront witnesses, and present evidence. Defense
attorneys are able to review the evidence against their clients when
preparing their cases. The accused enjoys a right to appeal to a higher
court (currently the Supreme Court). In a number of cases, decisions of
the lower court were overturned on appeal.
To date, no pattern of discrimination has emerged in the judicial
system. The new Constitution provides for the right of the accused to
have an interpreter both at the trial and in reviewing the documents in
the case. If the majority of participants agree, trials may take place
in Russian or another acceptable language instead of Romanian/Moldovan.
There continue to be credible reports that local prosecutors
occasionally bring unjustified charges against individuals in
retribution for accusations of official corruption or for political
reasons. Prosecutors occasionally use bureaucratic maneuvers to
restrict lawyers' access to clients.
In the Transdniester region, four Moldovans, members of the "Tiraspol
Six," remain in prison following their conviction in
1993 for allegedly assassinating two separatist officials.
International human rights groups raised serious questions about the
fairness of the trial, and local organizations alleged that the
Moldovans were prosecuted for political reasons, solely because of their
membership in the Christian Democratic Popular Front, a Moldovan party
that favors reunification with Romania (see Section 1.c.).
f. Arbitrary Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or
Correspondence
Prosecutors may issue search warrants. In some instances, searches are
conducted without warrants. Courts do not exclude evidence that was
illegally obtained. There is no judicial review of search warrants.
The Constitution specifies that searches must be carried out "in
accordance with law" but does not specify the consequences if the law is
not respected. It also forbids searches at night, except in the case of
flagrant crime.
It is widely believed that the security forces continued to use
electronic monitoring of residences and telephones of opponents of the
Government. By law, the prosecutor's office must authorize wiretaps and
may do so only if a criminal investigation is under way. In practice,
the prosecutor's office lacks the ability to control the security
organizations and police and prevent them from using wiretaps illegally.
Section 2 Respect for Civil Liberties, Including:
a. Freedom of Speech and Press
The Constitution and the law provide for freedom of speech and the
press, although with some restrictions. The Government does not abridge
freedom of speech, and the print media express a wide variety of
political views and commentary. National and city governments own a
number of newspapers, but political parties and professional
organizations, including trade unions, also publish newspapers.
Several independent radio stations broadcast in Moldova, including at
least one religiously oriented station. An independent television
station started broadcasting in August. The independent media outlets
maintain news staffs and conduct a number of public interest programs.
The Government owns and operates a television channel and several of the
major radio stations.
The press law retains language (after some modification as a result of
recommendations made by the Council of Europe and the OSCE) that forbids
"contesting or defaming the State or the people." These restrictions
are also contained in the new Constitution. They appear to be aimed at
journalists publishing material in favor of reunification with Romania
and questioning the legal right of the Republic of Moldova to exist.
The Government does not restrict foreign publications. Western
publications do not circulate widely since they are very expensive by
local standards. Romanian and Russian publications also have become
difficult to obtain due to their expense. Moldova receives television
and radio broadcasts from Romania and Russia. Cable subscribers receive
the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) Super Channel, Euro-News,
and a number of entertainment networks.
In the Transdniester, print media, with the exception of a paper
published by local Russian army units, are controlled by the local
authorities. The one independent cable television station is under
pressure from the authorities. Most Moldovan papers do not circulate in
the Transdniester. A few copies of the Moldovan government paper and a
paper sponsored by the ruling Democratic-Agrarian party do circulate
there, but in extremely limited fashion. Circulation of all print media
in Transdniester is greatly limited by the local economic crisis, which
is more severe than in the rest of Moldova.
b. Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association
The law provides for the right to peaceful assembly. The mayor's office
generally issues permits for demonstrations; it may consult the national
Government if the demonstration is likely to be extremely large.
During the late summer, the Chisinau city government closed the large
central square in front of the government buildings. The square was the
site of major demonstrations for sovereignty in late perestroika times
and is still the most popular place in the country for demonstrations.
The city claimed that it was necessary to turn the square into a parking
lot. It was forced to rescind its decision after a few weeks because of
extensive public criticism. Nonetheless, permits are often issued for a
nearby park or other central locations rather than the central square.
Private organizations, including political parties are required to
register, but applications are approved routinely.
c. Freedom of Religion
The practice of religion generally is free. Parliament passed a law on
religion in 1992 which codified religious freedoms, although it
contained restrictions that could inhibit the activities of some
religious groups. The law provides for freedom of religious practice,
including each person's right to profess his religion in any form. It
also provides for alternative military service for conscientious
objectors, protects the secrets of the confessional, allows
denominations to establish associations and foundations, and states that
the Government may not interfere in the religious activities of
denominations. The law, however, also requires that religious groups
register with the Government in order to function and that denominations
obtain specific government approval to hire noncitizens. The law also
prohibits proselytizing.
Some Protestant denominations are concerned that the prohibition on
proselytizing could inhibit their activities, although many
denominations hold large revival meetings apparently without official
interference. To date, the authorities have taken no legal action
against individuals for proselytizing.
Protestant groups have increased their ties with coreligionists abroad;
foreign missionaries are also established in Moldova. About 20
denominations are registered and active in Moldova, including Baha'i,
followers of Krishna, and Jehovah's Witnesses. These groups had been
denied registration in the past. A Protestant sect and the Salvation
Army, however, have not been able to register as religious denominations
because they do not meet the requirement of having a Moldovan citizen as
the organization's legal head.
Although Eastern Orthodoxy is not designated in the law on religion as
the official religion of Moldova, it continued to be the strongest
religious force and exerted significant influence. The Metropolitanate
broke away from the Moldovan Orthodox Church, which is under the
authority of the Patriarch of Moscow, to adhere to the Romanian Orthodox
Church in 1992. The Government has consistently refused to register the
church, citing unresolved problems connected to the new church's
property claims as the principal reason it will not register the group.
In September a district court ruled that the Government's refusal to
register the "Metropolitanate of Bessarabia--old style" was illegal.
The Government is appealing the case. Harassment of the Metropolitanate
by local authorities and priests of the Moldovan Orthodox Church
virtually ceased this year. Officials of the Metropolitanate attribute
this decrease to the support of international organizations and Western
governments.
The Jewish community, although small, is very active. Jewish leaders
report that their relations with the Government and local authorities
are cooperative. A Jewish secondary school was opened in September.
d. Freedom of Movement Within the Country, Foreign Travel,
Emigration, and Repatriation
There are no closed areas or restrictions on travel within Moldova.
Moldovans generally are able to travel freely, however there are some
restrictions on emigration. Close relatives with a claim to support
from the applicant must give their concurrence. The Government may also
deny permission to emigrate if the applicant had access to state
secrets. Such cases, however, are very rare, and none were reported in
1995.
Section 3 Respect for Political Rights: The Right of Citizens to
Change Their Government
Moldova held its first multiparty parliamentary elections in February
1994. International monitors from OSCE member countries observing the
elections deemed them generally free and fair. Some observers, however,
noted several problem areas, including unequal access to the media and
the use of state resources by the dominant party. The elections were
based on straight proportional representation, with a 4-percent
threshold for entry into Parliament. Four parties or blocs entered
Parliament. The Democratic Agrarian Party, the largest bloc in the
former Parliament, won 56 of the 104 seats. The Socialist/Unity Bloc
won 28 seats and usually votes with the Agrarians.
In August eleven Agrarian deputies left the ruling party (one later
returned) to join a new political party, the Party of Renewal and
Conciliation, founded by President Snegur. The Democratic Agrarian
Party then expelled three of the defectors from their parliamentary
posts. The Constitutional Court overturned the expulsion, saying that
Parliament had not followed its own procedures in expelling them.
Parliament accepted the decision, thus averting a constitutional crisis,
and reinstated the deputies briefly to their posts. Parliament then
expelled the defectors from their posts again, this time following its
prescribed procedures.
Other seats are held by the Peasants and Intellectuals Bloc and the
Christian Democratic Popular Front. These groups emphasize the
importance of increased use of the Romanian language in public life,
closer economic and cultural ties with Romania, and increased
privatization of agricultural land. Some members of these groups
advocate reunification with neighboring Romania.
The new Constitution provides for the division of power between the
popularly elected President, the Cabinet, the Parliament, and the
judiciary. The President, as Head of State, in consultation with the
Parliament, appoints the Cabinet and the Prime Minister, who functions
as the Head of Government. Parliamentary elections are scheduled to
take place every 4 years, as are presidential elections.
The Constitution states that citizens are free to form parties and other
social-political organizations. A controversial article states,
however, that those organizations that "militate against political
pluralism, the principles of the rule of law, or of the sovereignty,
independence, and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova, are
unconstitutional." Opposition parties, some of which favor rapid or
eventual reunification with neighboring Romania, have charged that this
provision is intended to impede their political activities.
There are no restrictions in law or practice barring the participation
of women or minorities in political life. But women generally are
underrepresented in leading positions of political parties. Women hold
only 5 of the 104 parliamentary seats. The Association of Moldovan
Women, a social-political organization, competed in the 1994 elections
but received less than 3 percent of the vote. Russian, Ukrainian,
Bulgarian, and Gagauz minorities are represented in Parliament; debate
takes place in either the Romanian/Moldovan or Russian language, with
translation provided.
Section 4 Governmental Attitude Regarding International and
Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Violations of Human Rights
Several local human rights groups exist. The local Helsinki Watch
organization maintains contacts with international human rights
organizations, as does the Helsinki Citizens Assembly, whose President
is the Chairman of the Parliamentary Human Rights Commission and leader
of the minority rights movement Unity. Human rights groups operate
without government interference.
The Government has welcomed and supported the work of the OSCE, which
has had a mission in the country since 1993 to assist with finding a
resolution for the separatist conflict. The Transdniester separatist
authorities have always stated that they would cooperate with the OSCE
mission, but only permitted its representatives to participate in all
meetings of the joint commission this year after more than 2 years of
negotiations. The commission, composed of Russian, Moldovan, Ukrainian
and Transdniester members, reviews violations of the cease-fire
agreement. Previously, the commission had agreed to allow the OSCE to
participate in only about half the meetings. The mission now enjoys
full, though unofficial, access to the "security zone" along the river
dividing the separatist- controlled territory from the rest of Moldova.
Moldova has cooperated with the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) in the past, permitting visits to prisoners from the 1992
conflict (since released). Transdniester separist authorities did not
allow the ICRC access to the members of the "Ilascu Six" currently
serving their sentences since 1993. Such visits took place in 1992 and
1993, but were suspended at the end of 1993, because the ICRC was not
allowed to make them in conformity with its standard modalities.
Section 5 Discrimination Based on Race, Sex, Religion, Disability,
Language, or Social Status
Article 16 of the Constitution says that all persons are equal before
the law regardless of race, sex, disability, religion, language, or
social origin. There are remedies, such as court orders for redress of
grievances, but these are not always enforced.
Women
Women who suffer physical abuse by their husbands have the right to
press charges; husbands convicted of such abuse may receive prison
sentences (up to 6 months is not uncommon). Public awareness of the
problem of violence in families generally is not very high and no
special government programs exist to combat spouse abuse. According to
knowledgeable sources, women do not generally appeal to police or the
courts for protection against abusive spouses because they are
embarrassed to do so. Police generally do not consider spouse abuse a
serious crime, although, when cases do reach a court, they appear to be
treated seriously. Women and legal authorities report that spouse abuse
is not widespread. Through November the Ministry of Internal Affairs
recorded 220 cases of rape or attempted rape.
The law provides that women shall be equal to men. However, according
to statistics, women have been disproportionately affected by growing
unemployment. By law, women are paid the same as men for the same work.
Though still victimized by societal discrimination, anecdotal evidence
suggests women are now more employable than men (more flexible, better
workers), and are working now in order to make ends meet. There are a
significant number of women managers in the public sector.
Children
Moldova has extensive legislation designed to protect children,
including extended paid maternity leave and government supplementary
payments for families with many children. The health system devotes
extensive resources to child care. No special problems concerning child
abuse came to light in 1995.
People with Disabilities
There is no legal discrimination against people with disabilities.
However, there are no laws providing for accessibility to buildings, and
there are few government resources devoted to training people with
disabilities. The Government does provide tax advantages to charitable
groups that assist the disabled.
Religious Minorities
Drunks vandalized 40 headstones in the Jewish cemetary in one incident
in Chisinau in May; police reacted quickly, arresting and jailing the
perpetrators. In Bender, largely controlled by separatists, several
Jews were reportedly beaten. Local Jewish leaders do not view either
incident as part of a pattern of anti-Semitism.
National/Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Moldova has a population of about 4.3 million, of which 65 percent are
ethnic Romanian Moldovans. Ukrainians (14 percent) and Russians (13
percent) are the two largest minorities. A Christian Turkic minority,
the Gagauz, lives primarily in the southern regions. They are largely
Russian-speaking and represent about 3.5 percent of the population.
Moldova's citizenship law, adopted in 1990, offered an equal opportunity
to all persons resident in Moldova at the time of independence to adopt
Moldovan citizenship. The OSCE's Office of Democratic Institutions and
Human Rights praised the law as being very liberal. The law permits
dual citizenship on the basis of a bilateral agreement, but no such
agreements were in effect.
In 1994 the Parliament voted to delay until 1997 the implementation of
the language testing foreseen in the language law of 1989 and due to
begin in 1994. The principle inherent in the language law is that, in
dealing with any official or commercial entity, the citizen should be
able to choose the language to use. Officials are therefore obligated
to know Russian and Romanian/Moldovan "to the degree necessary to
fulfill their professional obligations." Since many Russian- speakers
do not speak Romanian/Moldovan (while all educated Moldovans speak both
languages), they argued for a delay in the implementation of the law to
permit more time to learn the language. Parliament also decided to
review the procedures for testing and the categories of individuals to
be tested. The Constitution provides parents with the right to choose
the language of instruction for their children.
In the separatist region, however, discrimination against
Romanian/Moldovan-speakers continues. In most areas of the separatist
region, Moldovan schools must use the Cyrillic alphabet when teaching
Romanian. (The Cyrillic script was used to write the Romanian language
in Moldova until 1989, since "Moldovan," as it was then called, was
officially decreed during the Soviet era to be a different language than
Romanian, which is written in the Latin alphabet. The 1989 Language Law
reinstituted the use of the Latin script.) A few schools finally
obtained permission to use the Latin alphabet, but this permission is
now being rescinded. Many teachers, parents, and students objected to
the use of the Cyrillic script to teach Romanian. They believe that it
disadvantages the children for higher education opportunities in the
rest of Moldova or even Romania. They further object since it is a
return to one of the more oppressive and despised policies of the pre-
Gorbachev era.
Section 6 Worker Rights
a. The Right of Association
The 1990 Soviet Law on Trade Unions, which was endorsed by Moldova's
then Supreme Soviet and is still in effect, provides for independent
trade unions. Moldovan laws passed in 1989 and 1991, which give
citizens the right to form all kinds of social organizations, also
provide a legal basis for the formation of independent unions. The new
Constitution further declares that any employee may found a union or
join a union which defends workers' interests. However, there have been
no known attempts to establish alternate trade union structures
independent of the successor to the previously existing official
organizations which were part of the Soviet trade union system.
The successor organization is the Federation of Independent Trade Unions
(FITU). FITU's continuing role in managing the state insurance system
and its retention of previously existing official union headquarters and
vacation facilities provide an inherent advantage over any newcomers who
might wish to form a union outside its structure.
However, its industrial or branch unions are becoming more independent
entities; they maintain that their membership in FITU is voluntary and
that they can withdraw if they wish. Virtually all employed adults are
members of a union.
Government workers do not have the right to strike, nor do those in
essential services such as health care and energy. Other unions may
strike if two-thirds of the members vote for a strike in a secret
ballot. There were several labor actions for payment of back wages,
including a number of strikes by teachers in various parts of the
country. High hidden and official unemployment made workers concerned
about job security. Unions may affiliate and maintain contacts with
international organizations.
b. The Right to Organize and Bargain Collectively
Moldovan law, which is still based on former Soviet legislation,
provides for collective bargaining rights. However, wages are set
through a tripartite negotiation process involving government,
management, and unions. On the national level, the three parties meet
and negotiate national minimum wages for all categories of workers.
Then, each of the branch unions representing a particular industry
negotiates with management and the government ministries responsible for
that industry. They may set wages higher than the minimum set on the
national level and often do, especially if the industry in question is
more profitable than average. Finally, on the enterprise level, union
and management representatives negotiate directly on wages. Again, they
may set wages higher than negotiators on the previous level.
There were no reports of actions taken against union members for union
activities. The 1990 Soviet Law on Trade Unions provides that union
leaders may not be fired from their jobs while in leadership positions
or for a period after they leave those positions. This law has not been
tested in Moldova.
There are no export processing zones.
c. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor
The new Constitution prohibits forced labor, and no instances of it were
reported.
d. Minimum Age for Employment of Children
The minimum age for employment under unrestricted conditions is 18
years. Employment of those ages 16 to 18 is permitted under special
conditions, including shorter workdays, no night shifts, and longer
vacations. The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection is primarily
responsible for enforcing these restrictions, and the Ministry of Health
also has a role. Child labor is not used in Moldovan industry, although
children living on farms do sometimes assist in the agricultural sector.
e. Acceptable Conditions of Work
The current minimum monthly wage is $20.50 (90.3 Moldovan lei). The
average wage of $30.50 (138.2 Moldovan lei) does not provide a decent
standard of living for a worker and family. The new Constitution sets
the maximum workweek at 40 hours, and the Labor Code provides for at
least 1 day off per week. Due to severe budgetary constraints, the
Government and enterprises often did not meet the payroll for employees.
The State is required to set and check safety standards in the
workplace. The unions within FITU also have inspection personnel who
have a right to stop work in the factory or fine the enterprise if
safety standards are not met. Further, workers have the right to refuse
to work but may continue to draw their salaries if working conditions
represent a serious threat to their health. In practice, however, the
declining economic situation has led enterprises to economize on safety
equipment and generally to show less concern for worker safety issues.
Workers often do not know their rights in this area.
(###)
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