site.btaCouncil for Tripartite Cooperation Holds Extraordinary Video Conference

Sofia, August 29 (BTA) - The National Council for Tripartite
Cooperation (NCTC) on Saturday held an extraordinary video
conference, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister for economic and
demographic policy and Tourism Minister Mariyana Nikolova, the
government information service said.

On the agenda were amendments to an ordinance on the wages of
public servants.
Under the proposed changes personnel expenditures of
administrations which are directly involved with controlling and
 mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 emergency will be
increased. The basic monthly salaries will go up retroactively
by up to 30 per cent from August 1 2020.

The Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association and the Bulgarian
Industrial Association were against the changes, while the two
largest trade unions, the Confederation of Independent Trade
Unions in Bulgaria and the Podkrepa Labour Confederation
supported them.

Also, the government, trade unions and employers discussed
amendments to the 2020 National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF)
Budget Act, tabled by the Health Ministry, which were backed
unanimously.

Under the amendments, unutilized funding can be used to cover
payments to hospital care providers for past periods, verified
by NHIF.

The Council also considered a bill to amend and supplement the
2020
Public Social Insurance Budget Act, tabled by the Labour and
Social Policy Ministry.

The proposed changes are related to the amount of unemployment
benefits and the period for which they are claimed which will
take effect from October 1 2020. They are part of a package of
social and economic measures implemented by the government in
connection with the COVID-19 emergency.

From October 1 the daily unemployment compensation will increase
 from 9 leva to 12 leva. This will affect about 30,000 persons
monthly. To this end the government will have to extend an
additional 90 million leva by the year's end.

Also, unemployment benefits can be claimed for seven months up
from the current four months by jobless people who have claimed
compensation for unemployment less than three years ago. This
change will affect between 13,000 and 15,000 persons monthly
between October 1 and December 31. For the three-month period
this will cost an extra 2 million leva. The social partners
backed the proposed changes to the Public Social Insurance
Budget Act. NV/PP