site.btaEmployers, Trade Unions Hold Fresh Protest Rally against Hike of Electricity Prices

Employers, Trade Unions Hold Fresh Protest Rally against Hike of Electricity Prices

Sofia, July 29 (BTA) - Employers and trade unions Wednesday
staged their second protest event against the pending increase
of electricity prices. The first protest, when large plants
suspended work for one hour, took place in late June.
Wednesday's protest rally marched from the building of the
Council of Ministers, passed by the offices of the Electricity
and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) and reached Parliament.

Among the protestors were head of the Association of Industrial
Capital in Bulgaria Vassil Velev and Executive Director of the
Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria
Evgenii Ivanov. Velev argued that consumers are overcharged for
electricity. He said that the aim of the rally is not to spark a
 dispute between the public and industrialists who is to pay the
 bills but to put an end on overcharging.

The protestors carried placards and chanted, "Yes to Reforms, No
 to Thieves," "No to Thefts in Energy Sector," "New Prices Doom
Businesses," etc. There were also demands for the resignation of
 EWRC Chairman Ivan Ivanov.

The employers organizations want a new postponement of the price
 increase, until the start of operation of the free market for
sale of electricity. They said that the Bulgarian business
cannot and does not want to tolerate subsidized electricity
generation and the preferential terms granted to renewable
energy sources facilities, or take the blow form the higher
price of power that will come from EWRC's decision to increase
the public obligation surcharge.

EWRC is expected to announce the new prices of electricity on
Friday.