site.btaTrade Union Demands Minimum Wage of at Least Lv 520 in 2018

Trade Union Demands Minimum Wage of at Least Lv 520 in 2018

Sofia, May 2 (BTA) - The Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) insists that the minimum monthly wage in 2018 should be at least 520 leva, leader Plamen Dimitrov said at the opening of the union's eighth regular congress on Tuesday.

CITUB expects Parliament and the next regular government to support a quick increase in the minimum wage until it reaches 50 per cent of the average wage.

CITUB considers it realistic for the minimum wage to reach 800 leva, and the average wage 1,700 leva, in five years, Dimitrov said. In his words, an annual pay rise in the real sector by at least 100 to 120 leva is a realistic proposition.

According to Dimitrov, the Bulgarians' living standards should be at least 60 per cent of the average European's in five years. The future government should focus on  policies that will allow the country to deal with inequality and will make people believe in what is fair again, the CITUB leader said.

Plamen Dimitrov also said: "Now more than ever Bulgaria needs political stability, a parliament and a government working in unison, and effective social cooperation." A restart of social dialogue is needed urgently - with properly functioning bodies and structures and specific plans for the work of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation, he said.

CITUB demands clear legislative and political support for collective bargaining. The union also insists on a new income policy, based on a fairer distribution of GDP, and on the introduction of a contributory income threshold equal to the minimum wage, with 10 per cent income tax charged on wages between the minimum wage and the maximum contributory income.

Adequate minimum social standards should be introduced to protect household incomes.

Dimitrov also added that in the next five to seven years, advancement in technology will change not only the way people work, but the way people live as well. The Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2018 should prioritize the protection of digital workers and the functioning of the future social model. 

In an address to the 8th congress read at the forum, President Rumen Radev said: "The prosperity of Bulgaria's citizens depends on our joint efforts. That is why I believe that we not only face challenges together, but will also outline a better future for Bulgaria." Radev assured the trade unions that the President would continue to be their reliable partner.

Dimiter Glavchev, Chairman of the 44th National Assembly, also said the trade unions can rely on partnership for improvements in social legislation.

GERB leader Boyko Borissov, who is forming a new cabinet, said: "People expect a fairer treatment and higher incomes." The next government will do its best to ensure a pension rise and larger incomes in general. This year Bulgaria is not faced with payments like those for the US-owned thermal power plants, the terminated Belene nuclear power plant project or the failed Corpbank, so the cabinet can take a breather and meet the trade unions' expectations in their priority areas. Borissov said an income increase is directly linked to Junker's social package, which, however, should be implemented by all EU Member States, said Borissov.

He added that the international situation is complicated and both Europe and Bulgaria have to deal with the consequences. "Huge expenditure is involved, and when billions are spent on problems for which we are not to blame, social policies are always affected. The mindless wars which claim thousands of lives, the huge pressure on the economies, the Greek financial crisis and instability in Macedonia - all these make Bulgaria a country whose stability the EU needs," said Borissov.

He also stressed the importance of the refugee problem and the increasingly difficult relocation in Europe of those who have arrived, adding that both Bulgaria and the EU had been spending heavily with no solution in sight.

Arms escalation is another problem which requires spending billions due to the world leaders' reluctance to find a negotiated solution to problems, according to Borissov.