site.btaPolice Officers Protest on Their Professional Holiday

November 8 (BTA) - Interior Ministry officials from all over Bulgaria protested in the capital on Sunday, on the day of their professional holiday, November 8. The protest was organized by the Trade Union Federation of the Employees in the Ministry of Interior (TUFEMI) and the main trade unions in Bulgaria also took part as guests and representatives.

TUFEMI Chair Valentin Popov said that Interior Ministry employees are excluded from other workers on the front line against COVID-19. Protesters expressed dissatisfaction with the 15 per cent salary increase promised by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov last week, and recalled that other administrations in Bulgaria had their salaries increased by 30 per cent on the grounds that they were at the forefront of the fight against coronavirus.

Interior Minister Hristo Terziyski said that both professional and political authorities, as well as the government, are adamant that the Ministry of Interior is definitely on the front line. According to him, a 30 per cent increase was only given to administrations that had extremely low starting salaries at the time.

''Our negotiations for a salary increase started immediately after July, when the budget of the whole country was being negotiated,'' Terziyski explained, agreeing that the salaries of police officers should be increased, but explaining that this is a matter of the state's capabilities, financial calculations and Bulgaria's current situation.

Current calculations account for a 15 per cent increase, but this is for the base salary, other additional conditions such as a class of service may bring it up to more than 20 per cent, said Terziyski.

The 15 per cent increase will cost the state 231 million leva. In addition, there will be another 65 million leva allocated for the payment of overtime work. According to Terziyski, the government is providing an amount of about 300 million leva for Interior Ministry employee salaries in 2021.

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President Rumen Radev congratulated Bulgarian police officers on the occasion of their professional holiday, the presidential press service said. Radev called on Bulgarian police officers to keep their desire for professional development and to successfully meet the challenges in their work in support of citizens and society.
Prime Minister Boyko Borissov also congratulated the police, wishing them health and strength. "The police officers have my great respect and commitment to constantly improve their working conditions," he wrote on Facebook. RI/DT
/DT/