On November 15, 2025, a round table entitled “Labor rights: promoting dignity in the workplace” took place at the Government House in Chisinau. The event brought together various actors active in the field of labor law who discussed the situation in the country regarding employee rights.
Among the participants were representatives of the State Labor Inspectorate, the US Embassy in Moldova, the International Labor Organization, the State Chancellery of the Republic of Moldova, Trade Unions, the Office of the People’s Advocate, NGOs, business and civic activists who discussed the main challenges related to labor rights in Moldova.
“Labor rights are an essential component of economic growth and individual security in the Republic of Moldova. This project is a platform to discuss labor rights and alignment with international standards in the Republic of Moldova. We cannot expect economic growth without fair labor practices, employment contracts, workplace safety and declared salaries.” – Arianne Ekinci, Human Rights Policy Officer, U.S. Embassy in Moldova.
“The purpose of the roundtable is to bring together policy makers and civil society representatives to discuss the current situation of labor rights, the challenges in the field, as well as good practices. It is essential that all relevant actors work together to find solutions to protect the dignity of employees in every workplace.” – Tatiana Costev-Cosuleanu, Executive Director, Institute for Rural Initiatives (iRi), at the beginning of the event.
During the event, the discussions were constructive and the exchanges offered complementary visions and solutions for the protection of employees and the promotion of a dignified working environment. Parts of these discussions can be replayed in our previous posts recorded LIVE on the iRi Facebook page.
“Although the protection of labor rights and dignity at work is an essential topic in Moldovan society with multiple facets and complexities, it is insufficiently addressed and studied. In this respect, a better dialog between the authorities and civil society, including employed citizens, is needed for an impactful remedy. This work is just the beginning of a broader process of change. We aim to support social dialog in each community and work with the authorities to address the needs and challenges faced by employees in different regions of the country.” – Ruslan Stanga, moderator of the event, independent public policy expert.
State authorities, present at the event, welcomed the initiative and proposed to continue and strengthen this social dialog.
“We currently have a big problem of undeclared work. The State Labor Inspectorate is coming with a message to the entire community, to let people know that the advancement of complying with legal labor is to the benefit of both employers and employees. We encourage anyone who discovers or identifies any violations to contact us or through iRi.” – Nicolae Vasilenco, Deputy Director, State Labor Inspectorate of Moldova.
Following this roundtable, the Institute for Rural Initiatives (iRi) will organize a series of similar meetings at local level, with the aim of supporting and encouraging social dialogue on the protection of labor rights at local level.
“We will continue to work to improve the legal framework for the protection of employees and the promotion of human dignity at the workplace, coming with concrete proposals and recommendations from civil society.” – Tatiana Costev-Cosuleanu, Executive Director, iRi.
For more photos from the event, please visit the Facebook page of the Institute for Rural Initiatives (iRi).
The activity is part of the project “Employers ACT: Promoting labor rights in the Republic of Moldova” implemented by the Institute for Rural Initiatives (iRi) and local partners with the support of the US Embassy in the Republic of Moldova.