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In its report on the thousands of Romanians (50,000 according to the demonstration organisers, 7,000 according to official figures) who took to the streets on 16 March to protest against the introduction of a new labour code, Bucharest daily Gândullaments on what it considers the “stupidity” of questions like "Will the new labour code turn us into slaves?" and rejects the assumption that "We cannot work without collective contracts.” According to the daily, “Under the old Ceausescu code, you had to pretend to be busy, while the new one will actually allow employers to fire staff who do not get the job done!" The new code will put an end to collective labour contracts, a legacy of the communist era which protected employees’ rights through thick and thin. Gândul argues that the new legislation "will encourage work, which will be distinguished from mere time spent at the office […]: we are too poor and weary to fill in for those who do not do their work."
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