In September 1994, the Romanian women’s gymnastics team did something almost unthinkable: they went on strike. Fresh off winning the European team title, the athletes training at the national center in Deva suspended gymnastics training and refused to return to the gym, limiting themselves to outdoor conditioning. The dispute centered on prize money promised for medals won at the European and World Championships that had still not been paid months later because of bureaucratic delays and a dispute over how new government regulations should be applied.
The protest placed coach Octavian Belu in an unusual position. Rather than opposing the athletes, he publicly defended them, arguing that the team had waited since the spring for money repeatedly promised by government officials. Belu described the strike as a last resort after months of assurances failed to produce results, stressing that the dispute was financial rather than political. The timing was particularly risky: Romania was preparing for a series of international competitions and the upcoming World Championships in Dortmund, raising fears that a prolonged interruption could affect the team’s competitive readiness.
The strike lasted only a few days. After the dispute drew widespread attention and the Romanian Gymnastics Federation publicly backed the athletes, the government agreed to begin releasing the overdue payments. Training resumed, the gymnasts returned to competition, and the immediate crisis passed. Yet the episode offered a rare glimpse behind the image of Romania’s celebrated gymnastics machine, revealing that even the country’s most successful athletes sometimes had to fight simply to receive the rewards they had already earned.
Below, you can find a collection of Romanian newspaper articles about the strike.
Monday, September 26, 1994
Octavian Belu Explains Why the Romanian National Team Gymnasts Went on Strike
Starting on Friday, at the Deva Olympic Center, the Romanian national women’s gymnastics team suspended training as a form of protest over the failure to honor promises regarding prize money for athletes who won medals in international competitions. In response to this situation, the coordinating coach of the Olympic team, Professor Octavian Belu, told us on Sunday around midday, exclusively:
“At the reception at Cotroceni, President Ion Iliescu recommended that the competent authorities study the possibility of reducing the taxation of prize money owed to athletes who win medals in international competitions. The relevant bodies—the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Finance, and the Government—found a solution by doubling the promised net amounts so that, after taxation, the athletes would still receive the agreed sums.
However, the bureaucratic mechanism delayed the payment of these amounts, and in the meantime Government Decision no. 280 of June 16 appeared, by which the promised pay scales were increased. As a result, the bonuses owed to us were recalculated according to the new scales. The documents were signed by those authorized—Messrs. Mărășescu, Mironov, and Georgescu—but the accountants at the Ministry of Youth and Sports are refusing to make the payments, arguing that the gymnasts’ medals were won before the adoption of the aforementioned Government Decision and therefore do not fall under its provisions.
But what fault do the gymnasts bear if it was not they—but the accountants—who delayed the payments? And now it is only fair that they be rewarded according to the new scales. Until these issues are resolved, we will not resume the training sessions that were suspended on Friday. Already, problems are arising concerning the participation of our athletes in the upcoming competitions in Canada, England, Spain, or at the World Championships in Dortmund.”
Nicolae Stanciu, Tineretul Liber, September 26, 1994
EXCLUSIVITATE
Octavian Belu explică de ce au intrat în grevă gimnastele din lotul României
Începând de vineri, la Centrul Olimpic Deva, lotul național de gimnastică feminină și-a încetat antrenamentele, ca formă de protest față de nerespectarea promisiunilor privind premierea sportivilor medaliați în competițiile internaționale. Față de această situație, antrenorul coordonator al lotului olimpic, profesor Octavian Belu, ne-a declarat duminică, în jurul amiezii, în exclusivitate:
„La recepția de la Cotroceni, domnul președinte Ion Iliescu a recomandat organelor abilitate să studieze posibilitatea reducerii impozitării premiilor cuvenite sportivilor medaliați în competiții internaționale. Organele de resort, M.T.S., Ministerul Finanțelor și Guvernul au găsit soluția, dublând sumele nete promise, ca prin impozitare ele să rămână la cuantumul stabilit. Dar mecanismul birocratic a tergiversat achitarea sumelor respective, iar între timp a apărut Hotărârea Guvernului 280/16 iunie, prin care grilele promise s-au majorat. Au fost deci recalculate premiile care ni se cuvin, la noile baremuri. Actele au fost semnate de cei în drept, domnii Mărășescu, Mironov, Georgescu, dar contabilii de la M.T.S. nu le achită pe motiv că medaliile gimnastelor au fost obținute înainte de elaborarea Hotărârii menționate și, deci, nu se încadrează în prevederile ei. Dar ce vină au gimnastele că nu dânsii, contabilii, au tergiversat plățile, iar acum este normal să fie premiate după noile baremuri? Până când aceste lucruri nu se rezolvă, noi nu ne vom relua antrenamentele întrerupte vineri. Deja se ridică probleme privind plecarea sportivelor noastre în apropiatele competiții din Canada, Anglia, Spania sau C.M. de la Dortmund.”
NICOLAE STANCIU
Wednesday, September 28, 1994
The Gymnasts’ Strike Has Ended
In Monday’s edition of our newspaper, we presented exclusively the explanations of coach Octavian Belu regarding the strike of the national women’s gymnastics team. On the same day, in the main hall of the Deva Olympic Center, the coordinating coach held a press conference in which he elaborated on the ideas underlying this unprecedented action. To the information already included in our initial report, we add here only the justification for the extreme measure that was taken.
Stating that “the suspension of training is a unique solution, one we turned to after long deliberation over the risks of such a gesture; we decided it was the only option and I assumed full responsibility,” the coach emphasized and asked to be understood that “our strike has no other underlying motive—and certainly not a political one—than a material, moral, and psychological motivation, which directly affects my personality and my credibility in the eyes of the athletes, their parents, and my colleagues, whom since April I have repeatedly reassured—through no fault of my own—that today, tomorrow, or next week we will receive the money owed to us.”
In this context, Octavian Belu rightly pointed out that from April until now, for example, the nearly 50 million lei owed to Lavinia Miloșovici could have helped her parents finish building the house they had begun, or—if deposited with the state savings bank (CEC)—could have generated interest. Instead, during this period, the prices of construction materials have nearly tripled.
Speaking next about the risk of the gymnasts losing competitive form—and therefore jeopardizing their participation in upcoming competitions—Octavian Belu stated: “We are trying to ensure at least a minimum level of strictly physical preparation, in order to avoid weight gain among the athletes, in the hope that our requests will be resolved as quickly as possible. We are also honoring our international commitments in order to protect our image abroad.”
Nicolae Stanciu
Tineretul Liber, September 28, 1994
Greva gimnastelor a luat sfârșit
În ziarul nostru de luni am prezentat în exclusivitate explicațiile antrenorului Octavian Belu, privind greva lotului național de gimnastică feminină. În aceeași zi, la sala mare a Centrului Olimpic Deva, antrenorul coordonator a organizat o conferință de presă în care a dezvoltat ideea ce a stat la baza acestei acțiuni unice. Celor aflate din prima noastră relatare le adăugăm doar motivarea actului extrem, la care s-a recurs. Spunând că „suspendarea pregătirilor este o soluție unică, la care am apelat după lungi frământări asupra riscului unui asemenea gest, am decis că este singura variantă și mi-am asumat întreaga răspundere”, antrenorul a atras atenția și a rugat să fie înțeles că „greva noastră nu are niciun alt substrat, și cu atât mai puțin unul politic, decât o motivație de ordin material, moral și psihic, care vizează direct personalitatea, credibilitatea mea în ochii sportivelor, părinților lor, colegilor mei, pe care din aprilie îi tot duc cu vorba — nu din vina mea — că azi, că mâine, că săptămâna viitoare primim banii ce ni se cuvin”. În acest context, Octavian Belu a precizat pe bună dreptate că din aprilie până acum, de pildă, cele aproape 50 000 000 lei ce i se cuvin Laviniei Miloșovici i-ar fi ajutat părinții să-și termine construirea casei începute sau, dacă ar fi fost depuse la CEC, ar fi produs bani, dar de atunci prețurile materialelor de construcție s-au triplat aproape. Vorbind, apoi, despre riscul ieșirii din formă și, deci, al participării gimnastelor românce la competițiile viitoare, Octavian Belu a spus: „Încercăm să asigurăm cu minimum de pregătire strict fizică, pentru a evita creșterea în greutate a sportivelor, cu speranța că solicitările noastre se vor soluționa cât mai urgent. De asemenea, răspundem angajamentelor internaționale pentru a apăra imaginea noastră în lume.”
Separately:
The Gymnasts’ Conflict with the Ministry of Youth and Sports Has Been Defused
Two months before the World Team Championships in Dortmund, the coach of the national women’s gymnastics team, Octavian Belu, announced that his athletes were suspending their training at the Deva center because they were dissatisfied with the current bonus system, in which taxation takes precedence:
“My girls told me they no longer want to train in the gym. They will only do jogging outdoors, but they will not resume training until the problem is resolved.”
The team’s technical staff also sounded the alarm over the fact that, despite promises made by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Finance, nothing had been resolved regarding the financial situation of Romania’s multiple Olympic and world champions.
“I cannot work for years for nothing. My family is building a house and I have to send them money,” said Lavinia Miloșovici, 18.
Like any coach who loves his athletes, Belu agrees with them:
“Even though they are Romania’s most famous athletes, for five months they have not received the bonuses promised for their successes at international competitions this spring.”
Contacted by a Mediafax reporter, the Secretary General of the Romanian Gymnastics Federation, Adrian Stoica, stated:
“The action taken by coach Octavian Belu and the others is perfectly justified. We are not advocates of such forceful actions, but following this ‘strike,’ the conflict was defused and the situation was resolved favorably today. It is, however, embarrassing that athletes of world-class stature have to resort to such means in order to obtain their rights.”
Monitorul de Iași, September 28, 1994
Conflictul gimnaste – M.T.S. dezamorsat
Cu două luni înaintea Campionatelor Mondiale pe echipe de la Dortmund, antrenorul lotului feminin național de gimnastică, Octavian Bellu, a anunțat că elevele sale își suspendă pregătirea de la Centrul din Deva deoarece sînt nemulțumite de sistemul de premiere actual, în care primează impozitarea. “Fetele mele mi-au spus că nu mai vor să se antreneze în sală. Vor face doar jogging afară și nu se vor antrena pînă nu se va rezolva problema”. De asemenea, tehnicienii lotului au tras un semnal de alarmă la faptul că, în ciuda promisiunilor făcute de Ministerul Tineretului și Sportului, precum și de Ministerul de Finanțe, nu s-a rezolvat nimic privind situația financiară a multiplelor campioane olimpice și mondiale. “Nu pot munci ani de zile pentru nimic. Familia mea își construiește o casă și trebuie să le trimit bani” a declarat Lavinia Miloșovici, 18 ani. Ca orice antrenor care își iubește elevele, Bellu este de acord cu ele: “Chiar dacă sînt cele mai celebre sportive ale României, de cinci luni ele nu au primit premiile promise pentru succesele lor la concursurile internaționale din această primăvară”. Contactat de un redactor “MEDIAFAX”, secretarul general al Federației de Gimnastică Sportivă, Adrian Stoica, a declarat: “Acțiunea antrenorului Octavian Bellu și a celorlalți este perfect justificată. Nu sîntem adepții acestor acțiuni de forță, dar în urma acestei “greve” conflictul a fost dezamorsat și situația a fost rezolvată favorabil astăzi. Este însă penibil ca sportivi de talie mondială să recurgă la astfel de mijloace pentru a-și căpăta drepturile”.
The New York Times reported on the issue. The article provided several additional details that had not appeared in the Romanian press.
[…]
Since last week, up to 10 Romanian stars, including a two-time Olympic champion, have refused to train indoors on the balance beam and uneven bars, and in the vault and floor exercise. Instead, they have limited themselves to jogging and other outdoor activity until they receive prize money promised by the Government for recent performances at the world individual championships and European championships, according to interviews with gymnastics officials, the national team coach and one of the country’s top gymnasts.
Such a refusal to train would have been risky, almost unimaginable, under the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu. But with democratic reform in Romania has come the freedom of dissent. And in this case, anyway, the strike appears to have worked. Prime Minister Nicolae Vacaroiu has intervened, and the money due the gymnasts, caught in a bureaucratic snag, will be paid in part today, with the remainder to follow in a month, gymnastics officials assured yesterday.
“It was a misunderstanding,” Adrian Stoica, general secretary of the Romanian gymnastics federation, said in a telephone interview from Bucharest. “Now the problem is solved.”Octavian Belu, the national team coach, who yesterday told the Reuters news agency that his gymnasts felt “morally wounded” and “deceived” by the Romanian Ministry of Sport, said in an interview last night that he had received assurances that part of the money would be paid today.
“For the first time, when I received assurances, I believe it,” Belu said through an interpreter in a telephone interview from Deva, a gymnastics training center in western Romania. “If the money is not paid, the problem will be rebuilt.”
Lavinia Milosovici, 17, who won two gold medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, said the work slowdown had begun last Wednesday. Belu said it was Saturday. Both denied Stoica’s claim that it was a one-day strike. The confusion is being monitored from the United States by the most famous Romanian gymnast of all, Nadia Comaneci, who defected in November 1989, a month before Ceausescu was overthrown, and now lives in Norman, Okla.Comaneci, who said she spoke with Romanian officials yesterday, said in a telephone interview that Belu may have orchestrated the strike because he is involved in a rivalry with officials of the junior national team in Bucharest. Such tension is normal, she said, considering that the junior athletes may be the ones actually competing in Atlanta in 1996. Others said Belu may be concerned about money owed to him.
It is common for athletes to receive award money for performances at Olympic Games and world championships. For example, an American gymnast who wins a gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta will be paid $15,000 by the United States Olympic Committee.
Romanian law enacted in July, Stoica said, was designed to increase the award money to Romanian athletes, who are heavily taxed for their winnings. The tax is approximately 65 percent, Romanian officials said. The new law languished because it lacked the signature from a Government official. Hence, the gymnasts weren’t paid.
Now, after a short strike, the athletes have been assured the check is in the mail. Or in the case, of Lavinia Milosovici the money will be waiting at the airport. Milosovici is to be paid today for a bronze medal and a silver medal won at the world individual championships in Australia in April. She is to receive the money in the Bucharest airport when she leaves for a competition in Birmingham, England, officials said. In a month’s time, officials said, she will be paid for gold, silver and bronze medals won at the European championships in May in Stockholm, where the Romanians won the team title.
Belu, the Romanian national coach, said that a gold medal at the world is worth approximately $7,190 and a silver worth $5,390, with a bronze worth a lesser amount. An Olympic gold medal in 1996 would be worth $10,780, he said. Milosovici said in a telephone interview that she needed the money for her family, which is building a house. But she seemed to know little about the payments due her.
“I don’t know when,” she said through an interpreter. “I don’t know how much.”
Another Romanian athlete, 17-year-old Gina Gogean, is also to be paid for a gold medal won in Australia and a pair of gold medals won at the European championships. She was flying to Toronto for a competition yesterday. Belu, her coach, said that he sent Gogean and Milosovici to competitions despite the strike because commitments had been made.
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