Bulgaria’s largest trade union to protest over proposed minimum wage

Bulgaria’s largest trade union, the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB), will hold a protest motorcade over the government’s proposal to set next year’s minimum monthly wage at €660. The protest will start outside parliament tomorrow at noon.

CITUB President Plamen Dimitrov said the union had called for a minimum wage of €690 for 2027 during talks with Finance Minister Galab Donev. This is the amount that would have applied under the previous Labour Code formula, which set the minimum wage at half the national average gross wage.

The union also opposes the proposed pay rises of 5% for public-sector workers and 7.5% for teaching staff. Dimitrov said CITUB would press for a 10% increase in public-sector pay.

Opposition parties have also criticised the proposed minimum wage. Prime Minister Rumen Radev said no final decision had yet been made, as the last details of the budget were still being worked out. He expressed hope that a balanced solution could be reached, “because this is where the interests of employers and trade unions always clash”.

Editor: Diana Tsankova