site.btaScientists, TUs Want at Least Lv 750 Salary for Young Researchers

Scientists, TUs Want at Least Lv 750 Salary for Young Researchers

Sofia, October 21 (BTA) - The salary of young researchers should become at least 750 leva (370 euro), the leaderships of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), the Agricultural Academy (AA), Podkrepa Confederation of Labour President Dimiter Manolov and representatives of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) demanded at a special BTA-hosted news conference Friday.

BAS President Academician Stefan Vodenicharov pointed out that as of 2017 the basic salary of primary school teachers will be over 700 leva. This is very good, he said, but such a salary should also be provided for the first step in science as of next year.

The leaderships of BAS, AA and the trade unions insist that the salaries of professors should be at least 1,800 leva. The scientists at the two academies and research institutes are slightly less than 10,000 to date. According to the calculations of the scientists and the trade unions, just an additional 170 million leva are needed for the raise, which is not a large sum.

The average salary of scientists lags behind the average salary for the country in 2015 - by 195 leva in BAS and by 254 leva in AA. Compared to the average salary in the state sector in 2015, those at BAS lag behind by 306 leva and those at AA - by 365 leva.

The average basic salary of professors at BAS at 31.12.2015 was 756 leva, the average gross salary - 922 leva, while associate professors received 636 leva and 776 leva respectively. Chief assistant professors have an average basic salary of 526 leva and and average gross salary of 598 leva.

The scientists warned that if the salaries are not raised urgently the country is at risk of losing the small portion of expert potential remaining in Bulgaria. This will be disastrous for science and its development.

BAS Vice President Academician Damyan Damyanov pointed out that in the last 10-15 years there has been a clear trend of rising scientist numbers in the world. From 2001 to 2007 scientist numbers have increased from 5.1 to 7.3 per cent, and even more after 2007, to reach over 10 million to date.