site.bta Trade Unions Object Proposed Keeping of Minimum Salary Unchanged in Next Year's Budget

Speaking at a briefing after Thursday's meeting of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation, the Chief Economist of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria, Lyuboslav Kostov, described as "outrageous and inadmissible" the proposal of the Finance Ministry set forth in the draft 2023 state budget to keep the minimum monthly salary unchanged at BGN 710. 

"The net amount of this minimum salary is almost equal to the poverty line in Bulgaria. This is totally inadmissible. We insist on binding the minimum wage with what is laid down in the EU directive and which says 50% of the average salary," Kostov said. 

Vanya Grigorova, economic expert in the Podkrepa labour confederation, described the Finance Ministry's proposal as "an outright attempt to blow up the social peace". Podkrepa insists that the minimum salary should be increased to BGN 850.