site.btaUPDATED Trade Unions to Watch Closely that Central Government Allocation for Sofia Public Transport System Goes Only towards Wages

The trade unions vowed on Monday they will watch closely to ensure that the BGN 15 million in additional funding pledged by the central government for the Sofia public transport system is used solely to augment employees’ pay.

A strike paralyzing Sofia’s above-ground public transport system went into a sixth day on Monday, with employees protesting for higher pay. The city’s underground train service, the metro, remains operational.

“Whether the blockade will be lifted depends on City Hall, the mayor or the Municipal Council, respectively, if they confirm that the money will go towards employees’ pay and the trade unions’ demands will be met, because the central government’s intervention can boost wages by BGN 300 per month,” said Todor Kapitanov, Vice President of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB).

Ivan Kirilov, who heads the Transport Workers’ Federation at the Podkrepa Confederation of Labour, said that the commissions responsible for transport in Sofia will meet later on Monday. “It is very likely that a decision will be made which will satisfy the workers’ demands. The mayor of Sofia has no more excuses.” Kirilov, who is also a municipal councillor, sees a very strong possibility that above-ground public transport in the city will resume running on Tuesday. He added, though, that this is not absolutely certain. “We are talking about a BGN 300 increase on the base wages of 7,000 workers in the four transport companies. We will sign up to nothing less. If the mayor once again refuses to accept it and starts talking about bonuses instead, a decision can be made by the Municipal Council,” Kirilov explained.

“The meeting with the Prime Minister became possible because someone finally heard the demands of the workers,” said Alexander Shopov, who chairs the CITUB’s Transport Unions Federation.

According to Kapitanov, the talks had come very close to a solution in the morning. “We made several concessions, but the mayor made none,” he added.

Discussing the inconvenience caused to school-goers who will be having matriculation exams later in the week, Podkrepa President Dimitar Manolov said: “We want the exams to proceed normally. The trade unions are ready to provide individual transport services to help those kids who cannot get to school for the exams.”