Bulgarian union to protest government's minimum wage proposal

KNSB, the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria, the country's largest union, will hold a car convoy protest in front of the Parliament building at 12:00 tomorrow, 16 October, against the government's proposed minimum wage of 660 euros for next year.

KNSB chair Plamen Dimitrov told Finance Minister Galab Donev during talks that the union proposes a 2027 minimum wage of 690 euros. This amount corresponds to the figure calculated under the mechanism previously provided for in the Labour Code.

KNSB also does not approve the government's plan to raise public sector wages by 5% and education workers' salaries by 7.5%. Dimitrov said that under current inflation conditions the increase cannot be expected to be welcomed by workers, and the union will demand a 10% rise for public sector salaries. The government's proposal has also drawn criticism from the opposition. Prime Minister Rumen Radev said final budget assessments are ongoing and no final decision has been taken.