Trade unions protest blocked downtown Sofia

A motorcade protest in Sofia under the slogan "For higher wages with Budget 2024 and a clear and secure energy future for Bulgaria", organised by the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB), blocked the centre of Sofia on December 18. Workers in different fields from all over the country gathered under the windows of the ruling power’s building to demand higher wages.

The rally started at 10.00 a.m. near the Parliament on the side of Prince Alexander I Square.

Teachers, health workers, public transport drivers, miners, farmers, firefighters, people from the cultural sphere also took part in the protest today.

The protesters are not happy with the 2024 budget. They are demanding higher wages.

"Enough working poor" and "We want the money we have earned" were some of the messages that were heard. There were even statements that people could be left without public transport if the demands are not heard. In order to engage the attention of the politicians, the protesters blocked traffic in parts of the capital. They set off from Prince Alexander I Square to reach Eagles Bridge, Tsarigradskoe Shose, the area around the National Palace of Culture, Russian Monument Square, and the end point would be Independence Square.

"In agriculture, we have no salary increase in all the agencies that work on the ground. Public transport has remained underfunded, there's no increase of pay envisaged in the budget, which as you can see is putting a lot of strain on the people who work in this field. In health care, there is no increase set for the money that funds the Ministry of Health. We have a billion and a hundred more in the treasury, only they are for the institutions," said Plamen Dimitrov, President of CITUB.

"Higher salaries is one of the biggest demands because we believe that teachers are with quite low incomes. I need to work two jobs to make ends meet," explained Boryana, a teacher at the 48th school in Sofia.

"We demand decent pay, decent wages in public transport. The working conditions are already unbearable. There is a shortage of staff because of this low pay, especially young people do not apply for jobs in this field of transport", says Valentin Danov, a public transport driver in Sofia.

The protesters applauded with gratitude the Ministry of Interior employees who are guarding the protest. All protesters are united that this is just the beginning. If their demands for higher wages are not met, they will continue with effective strike action.