The Foundation For The Defense Of Citizens Against Citizens Against State Abuses (FACIAS) continues to reveal and draw attention to the huge salaries in state-owned companies, as well as the discrepancy between the remuneration of the management of these institutions and the salaries of those working in less privileged sectors of public administration.
A first relevant example is CupruMin, one of the most important state-owned companies in Romania, where the FACIAS analysis revealed significant differences between the salaries of management and ordinary employees.
Luxury salaries paid from public money
According to data provided to FACIAS by the company, the highest gross monthly salary in 2024 exceeds 41,000 lei, while a regular employee receives, on average, 10,129 lei gross. In addition to salaries, the management benefits from numerous bonuses and allowances, which round up their income considerably. These include: management bonus - 40% of salary; seniority bonus - 25% of salary; hazard bonus (heavy conditions); night and underground bonus; weekend bonus; bonus for exceeding planned production. In addition, executives also receive holiday bonuses, prizes and various incentives, in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Remuneration of the two CupruMin directors for the period 2022-2024:
Ratiu Tiberiu Ioan (general manager until June 2024) received a total of 1.486.925 lei for the period he was at the head of the company: 2022: 555.928 lei/year; 2023: 605.644 lei/year; 2024 (until June 30): 325.353 lei
Goia Mircea Goia (deputy general director in the first years, later general director from July 2024) received 1.469.518 lei in the same period: 2022: 486.988 lei/year (deputy general director); 2023: 486.988 lei/year (deputy general director); 2024: January - June: 208.804 lei (deputy general director); July - December: 286.738 lei (general director). For the year 2025, the general director Goia Mircea has a salary of 283.668 lei.
CupruMin recorded a net profit of more than 55 million lei in 2024, but the company's revenue growth does not seem to be reflected in the benefits of ordinary employees, but mostly in the management's salary packages. FACIAS points out that these high remunerations and bonuses need to be justified by real performance and full transparency in the spending of public money, and calls for clear measures to restrict the funds allocated to unjustifiably high salaries.