site.btaInterior Ministry, Trade Union Federation Fail to Agree on Larger-than-planned Increase of Wages

Sofia, November 2 (BTA) - The Interior Ministry and the Trade
Union Federation of the Employees in the Ministry of Interior on
 Monday failed to reach agreement on an increase of the wages of
 police officers by more than the planned 10 per cent, said
trade union chairman Valentin Popov after a meeting here at the
Interior Ministry. He said that police officers will stage a
rally on Sunday.

Popov said:  "We are disappointed. We hoped that we would
negotiate, but the Minister had no mandate." He added that
Sunday's protest won't be the last.

Ahead of the meeting on Monday, the Federation recalled that
they insist on an increase of police officers' wages by more
than the planned 10 per cent from January 1, 2021, because
police officers are at the forefront of the efforts against
COVID-19. The Federation already held several protest rallies
across the country.
Police officers are dissatisfied that they are not on the list
of organizations where wages will be increased by 30 per cent.

After the meeting, the Interior Ministry said that Interior
Minister Hristo Terziyski and his deputy Mihail Zlatanov, who is
 in charge of social dialogue within the Interior Ministry, have
 launched a series of working meetings with all trade union
organizations of Interior Ministry employees. After that, a
meeting of the Council for Social Partnership will be scheduled
to discuss the wage increase. NV/PP