site.btaTrade Unions Leader: Incomes Should Be Compensated with Inflation Percentage  

There is no other alternative, regardless what the State is offering, to compensating workers' and socially disadvantaged group's incomes at least with the percentage of inflation, Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) leader Plamen Dimitrov said here on Monday during a forum discussing the 2022 budget update, organized by CITUB and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation Bulgaria.

The inflation has put tremendous pressure on social groups, Dimitrov said, adding that the big hopes put on the budget update are not justified for many.

"We believe that this update does not cover all needs and possibilities," Dimitrov said. According to him, the anti-crisis package should be around BGN 4 billion and not BGN 2 billion. The inflation will bring much higher revenue than the one set by the Finance Minister int he draft budget update, the CITUB leader argued.

According to Dimitrov, given that food prices have gone up by some 25 per cent year-on-year, it is logical for people to ask for at least around 20 per cent wage increases. He noted that does not matter whether the wage increase will happen under the incumbent Prime Minister and government.