Alexander Shopov, Chairman of the Federation of Transport Trade Unions to the CITUB, announced that the required sum for a 5% increase in the salaries of employees in state-subsidized structures, including "City Transport", BDZ (Bulgarian State Railways), the National Railway Infrastructure Company and "Bulgarian Posts", amounts to 24.6 million euros. The information was also confirmed by the vice-president of the trade union, Todor Kapitanov.
The meeting with the Mayor of Varna, Blagomir Kotsev, was initiated after a protest by the employees of "City Transport". Kapitanov recalled that a 5% increase was planned for the other employees in the state sector with the extension law for the budget. The trade unions emphasize that this amount is insufficient, but insist on a minimum 10% increase in salaries with a regular budget, and in some places even 15%.
Varna Municipality will be able to plan its expenses after the adoption of a regular budget. The union will seek opportunities to provide additional funds to increase salaries by 200 euros, which is proposed in the Collective Labor Agreement.
The dialogue between the trade unions and the Municipality is on track, but a dialogue with the Ministry of Finance and the state is also needed to find solutions. Mayor Kotsev welcomed the idea of a new cooperation agreement, but this requires additional funds from the state.
Mayor Kotsev expressed support for improving working conditions and the importance of the transport sector. He emphasized that the Municipality has always supported the employees' demands and is ready to work together with the state and the trade unions to find a sustainable solution and predictability in funding.