It is normal for unions to demand an increase in funds - not 5%, but 10%. I do not believe that in this budget, at this stage, this can happen. This is how Social Minister Borislav Gutsanov answered a question regarding the unions' insistence on a 10% increase in income in the areas underfunded by the budget within the current year. Earlier today, the president of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB), Plamen Dimitrov, stated that the tension in some sectors is not subsiding and that there is a readiness for protests.
We did the impossible with a "hole" from 18 billion leva to make a budget, to comply with the Swiss rule for pensioners, to have Easter supplements, no matter how minimal they are, not to raise taxes, which was extremely important, to have a 5% increase in wages, commented the minister, quoted by BTA. I think that at this stage it is very difficult to do anything more, he pointed out.
Gutsanov announced that on Friday there will be a meeting with employer organizations and unions, at which the transposition of the European directive on adequate minimum wages will be discussed.
A vote of no confidence is the most powerful weapon in the hands of the opposition, but it should not be used too often, because it becomes a "devaluation of this option", the social minister also commented regarding the two unsuccessful votes of no confidence in the "Zhelyazkov" cabinet and political applications for new ones.
Earlier today, Borislav Gutsanov delivered a public lecture on the topic "Work, insurance, rights – for a strong start to your career" at the University of National and World Economy (UNWE). The aim of the event is to explain to students labor rights, rules for safe work and employment opportunities.