The salaries of the administrative staff of Bulgaria’s higher education institutions will be increased by 12%, caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev said at a news briefing at the Council of Ministers after meeting with representatives of the Council of Rectors of higher educational establishments in Bulgaria.
Earlier in the day, the Cabinet announced that it will provide BGN 39 million in additional funding to increase the salaries of academic staff in state-run higher education institutions as of January 1, 2024.
Glavchev said that the caretaker government had solved another "inherited problem". "Apart from holding fair and transparent elections to the best of our abilities in the short time span we have, we have vowed to solve more deeply rooted problems," he noted. Glavchev added that BGN 39 million would be enough to increase the salaries of academic staff for starters.
As to the 12% pay rise for the university administration, the caretaker Prime Minister said it would cost the budget some BGN 12 million and was due within days.
Glavchev added that it would not upset the budget balance. "We are pursuing our standard 3% deficit target to meet the Maastricht criteria for euro area membership," he noted.
On Tuesday, the Council of Rectors of higher educational establishments in Bulgaria addressed an open letter to President Rumen Radev, Glavchev, government ministers, the Bulgarian EU Commissioner, the National Ombudsman, the chairpersons of parliamentary committees and the floor leaders "in connection with non-fulfilment of commitments assumed by the State in the Higher Education Act". Threatening protest actions starting from May 20, the rectors demanded an average salary for the teaching staff at State higher schools equivalent to not less than 180% of the gross average national wage and for a minimum basic salary for the lowest teaching position at State higher schools equivalent to not less than 125% of the gross average national wage.
/MR/
