President Iliana Yotova should veto the changes to the Labor Code related to the mechanism for determining the minimum wage and the way in which seniority is taken into account. This was stated by municipal councilor Vanya Grigorova in the studio of "Denyat ON AIR".
According to her, this will give employer organizations a stronger position in future negotiations with unions. According to her, a new mechanism should have been agreed upon first, and only then the current one should be repealed.
Accusations against "We Continue the Change"
In the conversation, Grigorova sharply criticized "We Continue the Change", defining some of their arguments against the budget as populist.
She gave as an example the allegations about the lack of funds for the National Children's Hospital.
"These 46 million euros have been set aside for design and will not be spent on the construction of the hospital, simply because a lawsuit is currently underway," Grigorova said on Bulgaria ON AIR.
She added that PP politicians are aware of this fact, but nevertheless use the topic for political dividends.
According to her, the same approach is observed with regard to remuneration in the judiciary and doctors' salaries, sending mutually exclusive messages.
The Budget and the Deficit
On the topic of the state budget, Grigorova commented that the projected deficit cannot be reduced below 3%, regardless of political disputes.
She pointed out that if capital expenditures turn out to be inflated, the unspent funds will simply remain in the budget, but this will not significantly change the size of the deficit.
According to Grigorova, GERB's actions regarding a possible referral to the Constitutional Court are part of the political struggle, while the behavior of "We continue the change" she described as even more controversial.
There is no time for a new mechanism for the minimum wage
Grigorova expressed doubt that an agreement will be reached between unions and employers on a new model for setting the minimum wage by the end of the year.
She supports the introduction of minimum wages by economic sectors, but only if the national minimum wage remains a guaranteed minimum.
Otherwise, according to her, in industries with weak union representation there is a risk that minimum wages will be lower.
"Bulgaria is subordinate to the US"
At the end of the conversation, Grigorova also commented on foreign policy topics. According to her, decisions related to the American military presence in our country are made under external pressure.
"Bulgaria is not a partner of the US. Bulgaria is subordinate to the US and this must be clearly stated," she stated.
Grigorova predicted that it is possible to reach public protests and concluded with the words of US President Franklin Roosevelt, according to whom politicians often need public pressure to implement the necessary decisions.
For her, active civic participation is the way for workers to protect their interests.