Trade unions Podkrepa and CITUB want bigger pay rises than the 5% planned for the public sector, their leaders said before meeting finance minister Galab Donev. The talks at the finance ministry are part of the budget process for next year. See our original report: KNSB opposes €660 minimum wage, will protest in Sofia tomorrow.
CITUB is holding a national protest and car march in Sofia today under the slogan "For higher incomes!". Protesters will call for a rise of at least 10% in all wages in the 2027 budget. CITUB president Plamen Dimitrov said the increase must cover inflation.
Despite the political wordplay, he said, people expect the minimum wage to reach €690, the level it was meant to hit in 2027.
Podkrepa president Dimitar Manolov called the planned rise "absurd". He said incomes must keep pace with inflation and the higher cost of living.
The minimum wage for this year should be set at the top level under the new formula for calculating the minimum income, which is €672. Manolov hopes the €660 the government proposes for next year can be negotiated upwards.
"The big picture looks bleak to me, as if we are going back years, to the years of poverty and misery again," Manolov said.
Later today, representatives of employers' organisations will also meet the finance minister.
Follow-up: CITUB union protests outside parliament for higher incomes in 2027 budget