In ANCOM, a former well-known politician was left with a salary of 8,700 euros net per month

Hundreds of employees from the communications regulatory authority (ANCOM), led by Valeriu Zgonea, managed to block in court the reorganization measures and layoffs decided in application of law 145/2025, but some employees did not escape the 30% reduction in basic salaries from January 1, 2026.

The ANCOM budget for the year 2026 was recently approved by the specialized committees of the Parliament after a marathon meeting, marked by accusations of manipulation of figures, sharp ironies and a repeated voting process.

The president of the authority, Valeriu Zgonea, presented the revised budget project in January 2026, after hundreds of employees obtained in court the suspension of the reorganization of the institution, required by law 145/2025, for which the Bolojan Government assumed responsibility.

“ANCOM was obliged to create a new budget project and include the financing of the positions occupied by the staff whose dismissal was suspended,” said Valeriu Zgonea.

The authority appealed to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, but such a process takes years, he emphasized.

“As a result of receiving the salary reduction decisions, some of the employees, namely 27 employees contested them in court”, ANCOM informed HotNews.

Basic salaries, reduced by 30% from 1 January 2026

Under these conditions, HotNews requested ANCOM to state to what extent it will still apply the reorganization measures provided for by Law 145/2025, which the Bolojan government pledged its responsibility to in Parliament.

The authority claims that law 145/2025 imposed two distinct obligations and that part of the measures have been applied.

“The first obligation refers to the approval of the new organizational charts and job descriptions with the reduction of positions, provided for in art. 1 paragraph (2) and in compliance with the rules provided for in art. 1 paragraph (5) and (6) of this normative act. This obligation was implemented through the decisions regarding the reorganization and the suspension of which was ordered by Decision no. 1867/2025 pronounced by the Bucharest Court of Appeal.

Another imposed obligation considers the reduction of the basic salary level, provided for in art. 1 paragraph (8) and art. 2 paragraph (2) of the same normative act. This obligation was implemented through the negotiation of the new Collective Labor Agreement, signed by the Trade Union at the ANCOM level and the management of the institution and registered at the Bucharest Territorial Labor Inspectorate with no. 452/18.12.2025. The document takes effect from January 1, 2026 and includes Annex No. 1 with the new salary scale, reduced by 30%”, the authority stated.

“Employees whose salary decreased as a result of the implementation of the new salary scale”, says ANCOM, “were issued individual decisions to determine the amount of the basic salary”.

“The salary scale is not part of the reorganization procedure, and the effects regarding the suspension of the reorganization process cannot also extend to the distinct obligation to reduce the level of basic wages, which had to be implemented no later than January 1, 2026 based on Law no. 145/2025 and the applicable collective labor agreement, as I stated previously. We mention the fact that, among the reorganization decisions – the decisions of the president of ANCOM no. 678/2025, no. 679/2025 and no. 680/2025 – the suspension of which was ordered by the court, no reference is made to salary”, states the authority.

27 employees challenged the salary cut in court

The salary scale applicable at the ANCOM level, as well as the basic salary calculation method, are published on the institution's website, where the net salaries of the ANCOM management are also published.

“We specify that this salary scale has been reduced by 30% and is applicable starting from January 1, 2026.

As a result of receiving the salary reduction decisions, some of the employees, namely 27 employees of ANCOM contested them in court. Being an ongoing process, we are not in a position to make additional comments”, said the authority's officials.

ANCOM sources stated for HotNews.ro that not all employees were affected by the 30% reduction in the salary scale, but only those at the maximum salary limit.

The individual basic salary in ANCOM is established as the product between the calculation base (minimum gross salary 2,353 lei / respectively 1,379 lei net) and the multiplication coefficient (which has a minimum and a maximum limit).

Valeriu Zgonea reached approximately 8,700 euros per month

The net salary of the president of ANCOM, Valeriu Zgonea, is 43,540 lei (over 8,700 euros), according to the new salary scale reduced by 30% from January 1, 2026.

The other two vice-presidents in ANCOM's leadership are paid monthly with 34,832 lei each (about 7,000 euros). The three are dignitaries, being appointed to these positions by the Parliament.

The salary of the cabinet director reaches approximately 23,170 lei (over 4,600 euros), while the advisers employed alongside the three dignitaries can collect up to approximately 16,410 lei (around 3,300 euros).

The salary of a general manager is over 24,130 lei / net (the equivalent of over 4,800 euros) if the maximum multiplication factor is taken into account. In the case of directors, salaries can reach over 23,160 lei (over 4,500 euros), while heads of departments can earn up to over 19,300 lei (about 3,800 euros).

Regarding execution functions, a database administrator can earn monthly up to over 16,410 lei/net (about 3,300 euros/month), a computer network administrator can receive a maximum of 15,400 lei (about 3,000 euros/month), and an electronics technician – over 8,600 lei/net (over 1,730 euros/month).

Drivers, shopkeepers, locksmiths, electricians and radio electronics workers can earn up to over 7,700 lei/net (over 1,500 euros) per month, while a maid can be paid up to approximately 5,800 lei (over 1,150 euros) per month.

Employees will not receive bonuses in 2026

Regarding personnel expenses, the initially allocated budget for this year exceeded 168.7 million lei. Later, after the court suspended the reorganization measures, the budget was rectified to over 180.5 million lei.

“Within this title, in the paragraph “Other wage rights in money”, for the year 2026 the amount of 2,227,000 lei was forecast, related to medical leave allowances. We specify that in ANCOM, in general, increases or bonuses are not granted, the only possible addition to the basic salary being the performance award, which was not granted in 2025 and which will not be granted in 2026 either, as it is not budgeted for, moreover, the authority stated.

The current organizational chart of ANCOM, maintained by the effect of the court's decision to suspend the reorganization procedure, has 744 positions, of which 629 are filled.

The new organization chart (which provides for a number of 661 funded positions for 2026) did not enter into force, considering the mentioned decision. The ANCOM budget for 2026 was published on March 20, 2026 in the Official Gazette.