site.btaUPDATED Schools in Sofia Will Be Closed on May 14 due to Public Transport Workers Protest

Schools in Sofia will be closed on May 14, 2025, because of the protests organized by public transport workers, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev announced at a press conference at the Municipality on Tuesday.

Regarding the demand for a BGN 400 salary increase, Terziev said that the Municipality foresees the raising of the monthly salaries of ground public transport workers by BGN 100, which is a 5% raise. According to him, at this stage the municipal budget cannot afford more, and it would be incorrect to deceive people and give empty promises. Terziev called on the state to support the Municipality in finding the funds, “because the Municipality cannot do it alone.”

On May 14, a protest under the slogan "Decent work - decent pay! Without transport there is no economy!" will be held in Sofia, the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) announced on May 8. The campaign, organized by the Federation of Transport Trade Unions at CITUB and the Federation of Transport Workers at Podkrepa Labour Confederation, is in response to the ongoing chronic underfunding of the transport sector, the lack of an adequate wage policy and the continued refusal of the responsible institutions to commit to real solutions, the organizers said.

Later on Tuesday, Terziev said that every day nearly 64,000 students rely on public transport to get to school. "I am fully aware that the news of tomorrow being declared a non-school day comes late and for many families this will create inconvenience," he said, apologizing for having to announce it at the last minute. "At the same time, I believe the most important thing is not to leave children waiting at bus stops without knowing if and when a vehicle will come," Terziev stressed.