site.btaThere Is a Trend of Decline of Overdue Salaries to Workers, Labour Minister Says

There Is a Trend of Decline of Due Salaries to Workers, Labour Minister Says

Blagoevgrad, Southwestern Bulgaria, September 19 (BTA) - The
mechanism for serving employers prescriptions and the sanctions
involving non-performance is working and there is a declining
trend of salaries owed to workers, Deputy Prime Minister and
Labour and Social Policy Minister Yordan Hristoskov told a
briefing in Blagoevgrad Friday.

Labour Ministry authorities in the form of the Chief Labour
Inspectorate and its divisions are monitoring the critical cases
in enterprises, Hristoskov said. He agreed that the last few
weeks have seen several drastic cases in which tension
escalated, but added that according to the labour inspectorates
the situation is improving after the measures they have taken.

Speaking specifically of Irrigation Systems, the Minister
recalled that the Government has decided to set aside 4.5
million leva so that part of the delayed salaries can be paid.
The period of delay will be shortened and payments will catch
up, he added. Irrigation Systems claims that the state has not
paid it some 19 million leva for its activities. An audit is
pending to show whether such a sum is really due, after which,
naturally, the state will continue to provide funds to the
company and the problem with the unpaid salaries will not be as
drastic as it is now, Hristoskov said.

The Irrigation Systems employees, who have not received their
salaries and insurance contributions for months, staged a
protest on Thursday demanding guarantees that the 4.5 million
leva allocated by the Government will truly be used for their
salaries and insurance contributions.

"We have the full understanding with the Finance Minister that,
because of the possible deficit of about 50 million leva,
including 10 million leva for employment programmes, the
required additional funds will be provided with the update of
the budget," Hristoskov said.