site.btaHealthcare Workers, Medical Specialists Protest for Decent Wages, Better Working Conditions
Healthcare workers and medical specialists held protests in several places across the country on Wednesday demanding decent wages and better working conditions.
In the southwestern towns of Kyustendil and Dupnitsa, hospital employees protested in the yard of their health facilities to express support for the demands of the medical specialists. Nurses, midwives, laboratory technicians and physical therapists from the Sliven Hospital also went on a protest in the town of Sliven (Southeast Bulgaria) over unfulfilled promises to increase salaries.
The State Psychiatric Hospital in the central town of Sevlievo issued a protest declaration of all healthcare specialists, the hospital told BTA. In the declaration, they state their firm civil and professional position and join the national protest of healthcare specialists. The hospital indicated that they insist on decent pay, such as a starting basic salary of EUR 1,550 for all healthcare specialists, safe working conditions and a consistent state policy that would lead to real changes in pay, attitude and evaluation of their work.
Employees of the Specialized Hospital for Long-Term Treatment and Rehabilitation of Pulmonary Diseases in Tryavna (central Bulgaria) also protested Wednesday. The reason for the protest is the unfulfilled promises of the government to healthcare professionals to increase the minimum wages in the sector.
Medical specialists from the Multi-profile Hospital for Active Treatment in Lovech (north-central Bulgaria) and in Pazardzhik (South Bulgaria) staged a one-hour long protest demanding higher and more decent pay as well. Nurses, midwives, laboratory technicians and physical therapists gathered in front of the healthcare facility to express their dissatisfaction. According to them, nurses in the hospital get a salary of BGN 1,200.
All nurses protested at the Hospital in Smolyan (South Bulgaria), even though only some of them came out in front of the hospital, as the rest had to attend to patients due to reduced staff at the hospital. The nurses expressed their outrage at the revised Budget Bill for 2026 and said that they would join the protest announced in front of the Municipality on Wednesday evening. Their main demand is to allocate EUR 100 million in the 2026 Budget, which would lead to a 10% increase in the salaries of healthcare professionals.
Protests of healthcare professionals were also held in Lovech, Pernik (West Bulgaria) and Stara Zagora (South Bulgaria).
Local representatives of the Podkrepa Confederation of Labour participated in all protests.
/MY/
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