The difference between 660 and 690 euros seems like a few banknotes in the monthly budget, but for people on the minimum wage it becomes a constant dispute over income, inflation and the cost of labor. It is around this difference that the new tension between the CITUB and the government has emerged.
The cabinet proposes that the minimum wage from January 1, 2027 be 660 euros. The amount is 39.80 euros, or 6.4%, above the current 620.20 euros. With a full working month, an eight-hour working day and a five-day working week, the minimum hourly wage would be 3.98 euros.
However, the CITUB does not accept the proposal. The president of the confederation, Plamen Dimitrov, said that the union had insisted on 690 euros - an amount that, according to him, would have been obtained under the previous mechanism that had been abolished. “The government is collecting negatives with this proposal“, said Dimitrov, quoted by BTA.
The union wants higher income growth
The proposed 660 euros are 12.80 euros below the maximum value of 672.80 euros, which was previously indicated by the Minister of Labor and Social Policy Natalia Efremova. In August, the CITUB also presented a wider range for the minimum wage in 2027 - between 692 and 750 euros, insisting that the criteria include purchasing power and the cost of living.
The dispute is not limited to the minimum wage. The CITUB also rejects the budget's planned 5% increase in salaries in the budget sector and 7.5% for pedagogical specialists. The union insists on a 10% increase, which according to Plamen Dimitrov would better respond to the pressure on incomes.
The decision is not yet final
The draft minimum wage has been published for public discussion, which will last until October 28. The shorter period is related to the need for the amount to be taken into account when preparing the state budget for 2027. After the consultations are completed, the final decision must be made by decree of the Council of Ministers.
A meeting between Plamen Dimitrov and Finance Minister Galab Donev is expected before that. The CITUB has also announced a protest rally in Sofia on October 16 at 12:00. According to Dimitrov, about 3,000 people with over 700 cars should be included in it.
Thus, the proposal for 660 euros remains an intermediate, not a final point in the dispute. For one side, it is a planned increase within the framework of the new mechanism, and for the other - a sign that the lowest incomes are again lagging behind the real cost of living.
Sources: novini.bg, bntnews.bg, btvnovinite.bg