site.btaUnion Leader Arrested During Protest by Forestry Workers Near Plovdiv
Todor Kapitanov, Vice President of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria, was arrested shortly after the start of a protest by workers from state forestry and hunting farms near Plovdiv on Monday, according to the event’s organizers.
Kapitanov was taken to the local administration office in the village of Trud following a clash with law enforcement officers during an attempt by protesters to block traffic on the Trakia Motorway. Despite the attempt, traffic on the motorway was not disrupted.
The organizers noted that earlier on Monday, Maritsa Mayor Dimitar Ivanov had issued an order prohibiting the protest from taking place. Following the arrest, some of the approximately 1,500 demonstrators gathered in the village of Trud, demanding Kapitanov’s immediate release.
Konstantin Cholakov, Chair of the Federation of Trade Unions in the Forestry and Wood Processing Industry, told BTA that the protesters initially called for the stabilization of state-owned enterprises under Article 163 of the Forestry Act, the implementation of a proposal by the Minister of Agriculture and Food to raise wages by 15%, and the provision of proper field and work clothing. He added that the current salary for a young employee in the state forestry and hunting farms ranges between BGN 1,300 and 1,600.
/YV, KK/
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