site.btaEducation Minister, University Faculty Unions Agree on Payment of Promised Pay Raise

Education and Science Minister Galin Tsokov and representatives of trade unions in higher education agreed on the payment of a pay raise for university professors, Tsokov's Ministry said in a press release Thursday.

University professors have threatened protests as they blamed the Government of failing to pay out a promised increase on salaries.

The Thursday meeting with the Minister was attended by the leaders of the higher education chapters of the influential Podkrepa Trade Confederation and the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria, Lilyana Valcheva and Valeri Apostolov, as well as Sonya Krustanova, Director of the Finance Directorate at the Education Ministry.  

During the talks, the sides agreed the distribution of the 2023 state budget to outlay the salary increase of university faculty so that actual payment can start. The money will be transferred to the universities by the end of the week. They amount is BGN 16 million and will be made available to 33 State higher schools with a total of 12,436 faculty. The funding will ensure a 20% pay raise for the lowest academic rank, assistant professor, to BGN 1,800 from the current BGN 1,500 as of 1 August 2023.