site.btaDay 5: Sofia Surface Transport Strike Continues

Sofia's surface transport remained blocked for a fifth consecutive day Sunday as the employees are protesting for better pay, Sofia Municipality told the Bulgarian News Agency on Saturday. The metro is not affected.

Drivers have blocked the depots and are preventing cars from leaving the garages. They are protesting for a BGN 400 pay rise from March 1, 2025, as well as for the provision of sanitary facilities and toilets, improved lighting, heating and work uniform. The demands also include an increase in the cost of overheads for meals from BGN 15 to BGN 20 from March 1, 2025.

On Friday, drivers made a petition warning if their demands were not met, they would proceed with indefinite stirke action. They have apologised to the capital's residents for the inconvenience caused, but are adamant that they remain firm on their positions and will not compromise further.

“We are currently in a situation that is worse than a strike because this is not a protest but civil disobedience and the entire public surface transport is blocked,” Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev said on Friday regarding a possible indefinite protest. Terziev also pointed out that he has invitated the trade unions to a Monday meeting, but his condition is that public transport must be restored. He pointed out that there are only demands from the trade unions and what he has presented them is a clear model with an account of why he is proposing it.

Public transport drivers told BTA that their gross salary is BGN 2,105. They give nine-hour shifts for 12 days without a break, with no more than two or three days off and about 60 hours of overtime. Among the main problems they cited were a huge shortage of staff, poor working conditions, lack of rest and lots of overtime. It is because of the dozens of hours of overtime per month that many of them earn higher monthly salaries that reach BGN 3,000, but they described this as “blood money”. According to them, if wages and working conditions were good, there would not be hundreds of vacancies for drivers.