The agreement on the mechanism by which the minimum wage will be determined was reached after heavy negotiations and under strong pressure, said the president of the Confederation of Labour “Podkrepa” Dimitar Manolov. According to him, the talks were not easy, and the unions and employers reached a common position only after lengthy discussions.
Manolov made the statement on the occasion of the discussion of the new approach to the minimum wage, which the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is preparing jointly with the social partners. According to the materials published by the department, the topic is part of the broader plan to promote collective bargaining and changes in the regulatory framework related to pay.
What's next for the minimum wage
As of now The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy points out that after the adoption of the legislative changes, amendments will also be needed to the regulation on the structure and organization of the wage in order for the Council of Ministers to determine the final amount of the minimum wage for 2027. This means that the agreed framework does not end the process, but opens the way to the next administrative and regulatory steps.
The agreement reached comes after years of disputes between unions and employers over the way in which the minimum wage is determined. Manolov has long insisted that the topic should not be reduced to just an administrative decision, but should be bound by clear rules and social dialogue.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy reminds that the mechanism is part of the broader policy to promote collective bargaining. It is there that some of the parameters that affect wages in individual sectors are also formed.
„The agreement was reached with a gun pointed at the temple“, said Dimitar Manolov, summarizing the gravity of the negotiations.At this stage, what is publicly known is that there is an agreement in principle, but the final rules and the specific effects for the coming years will depend on the legislative changes and subsequent decisions of the Council of Ministers.
Sources: news.bg, Ministry of Labor and Social Policy