site.btaPublic Transport Employees Hold Protest in Ruse to Demand Wage Increase

Public transport employees in Ruse and representatives of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) blocked part of a central roundabout in Ruse, located next to the Arena Ruse Hall, for half an hour on Tuesday. 

Public transport workers are protesting for a 5% salary increase that would be applied retroactively from January 1 of this year. EUR 0.55 million are needed for this purpose.

Initially, the protest was supposed to take place on Treti Mart Boulevard in the Western Industrial Zone of the city, where some of the bus lines in the city would be blocked and the drivers would protest briefly. CITUB Vice President Todor Kapitanov, stated that there was a change in the route of the lines because of the announced protest and he classified this as sabotage. He added that whoever issued the order to change the route lines should resign.

"Our demands are for a 5% salary increase, although this is insignificant money, since the basic salary of a driver is EUR 806. The company employs about 110 drivers, of which more than 30% are pensioners. For the conditions in which we work, the money is ridiculous," said Ivan Enchev, chair of the trade union organization of CITUB in Municipal Transport Ruse.

The protesters are set to meet with the city's mayor later on Tuesday.