site.btaTalks on Minimum Wage Continue While Official Statistical Data Is Expected

Negotiations on the minimum wage are continuing, and the National Statistical Institute is expected to present data on changes in the median wage on Thursday, allowing the specific calculation formula to be finalized, Dobri Mitrev, Chairman of the Management Board of the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA), and Plamen Dimitrov, President of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) told journalists on Monday.

They were speaking after a meeting at the Ministry of Finance, where the social partners discussed the mechanism for determining the minimum wage for 2027. The discussions lasted for more than five hours.

"We clarified the procedure that will determine the timetable within the calendar year," Mitrev said. According to him, agreement still needs to be reached on the calculation formula, as well as the lower and upper thresholds of the future minimum wage.

"Once we have the data on the median wage, which is one of the criteria with a weight of 25%, we will be able to discuss the entire range using concrete figures," he said.

Mitrev added that the lower limit is the current minimum wage, at EUR 620.20, while the upper limit will depend on the calculation based on the median wage.

Dimitrov explained that the number of people earning less than the median wage is equal to the number earning more than the median, and it is typically around 30% lower than the average gross wage.

Dimitrov also announced that agreement had been reached to assess the adequacy of the minimum wage every three years instead of every four years. He expects further progress on Thursday regarding the specific methodology for measuring adequacy. He added that consensus had also been reached on the fourth criterion, which will be based on long-term labour productivity, measured over a 10-year period.

Representatives of the Bulgarian Industrial Association and the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria recalled that they had already reached agreement on the four objective criteria, each carrying equal weight in determining the minimum wage.

They did not comment on the specific amount of the minimum wage for 2027. "Ultimately, the decision will be made by the government," Mitrev said.

Labour and Social Policy Minister Nataliya Efremova also said that progress had been made in the negotiations on the minimum wage.