site.btaHealthcare Providers Are Ready to Protest, Demand Better Pay

The Trade Union of Bulgarian Healthcare Providers declared readiness for protest actions and an effective strike on its Facebook page on Wednesday. The Trade Union explained its position with "the severe and long neglected crisis in the healthcare system caused by the systematic underfunding and devaluation of the work of medical specialists".

The declaration is addressed to Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, Minister of Health Silvi Kirilov, Minister of Finance Temenuzhka Petkova, and to all parliamentary groups, among others. The organization expects an official response and concrete commitments, as well as a public discussion of the problem in the parliamentary Committee on Health.

The declaration reads: "Our work is undervalued, underpaid and not in line with the real social responsibility we bear, and it is unacceptable that the state provides funds for wage increases only in certain sectors – education and the Ministry of Interior, while systematically ignoring healthcare."

The text points out that after the recent protests of transport workers in Sofia, the government found BGN 15 million to update their wages. According to the healthcare providers, this is a clear sign that financial resources can be found, when there is political will for that.

The Trade Union insists that salaries of medical professionals in the state and municipal system should be raised to at least 150% of the average wage for the country, to match the experts' professional qualifications and responsibility.

On May 12, the Trade Union protested in front of the Ministry of Health demanding an increase in salaries for all health care professionals, the adoption of a health care standard, and the signing of a Collective Labour Agreement that applies to everyone in the sector, not just union members.