A total of 420 employees of the National Toll Administration will be dismissed from the “Road Infrastructure“ Agency as part of an upcoming reform. It is planned that some of them will be given the opportunity to apply for jobs at the Ministry of Interior, the “Customs“ Agency or the National Revenue Agency.
The changes were discussed at a meeting between the RIA management and representatives of the “Podkrepa“ CT. According to the vice president of the union, Eng. Ioannis Partheniotis, a total of 505 positions will be cut, but 85 of them are vacant.
„At the end of February, 505 positions will be cut from the National Toll Administration, of which 85 are vacant. The actual number of people laid off will be 420“, said Ioannis Partheniotis.The reform will be implemented in two stages. During the first four months, the new organizational regulations of the RIA must be adopted, and part of the functions of the National Toll Administration will be transferred to other structures. On November 11, the unions and the management of the toll administration will begin work on the selection criteria. Representatives of the human resources units of the Ministry of Interior and the Customs Agency will also participate in the process.
There will be no automatic transfer
The employment contracts of the 420 employees with RIA will be terminated, and they will be paid the due compensation. The transfer to another administration will not be automatic. Those wishing to do so will have to meet the requirements for the respective position and go through a recruitment procedure.
It is planned to create a new executive agency under the Ministry of Transport. It should take over the collection of tolls, the maintenance and administration of the electronic system, as well as the processing of information on risk profiles. Some of the current staff may transfer to the new structure.
The RIA assured that the changes will not lead to lower toll collection or deterioration of control. Oleg Asenov pointed out that digital tools will optimize inspections, and the functions of the National Toll Administration will gradually be transferred to a single control body.
Reductions also in regional administrations
According to information provided by the unions, the contracts of about 85-87 employees in the regional road administrations are expected to be terminated. The administrative staff will be affected primarily, not the engineering and technical specialists.
The change is related to the planned centralization of public procurement in the central administration of the RIA. According to Partheniotis, these cuts should be implemented by the end of 2026, as there are no funds provided for the relevant positions in the 2027 budget. Jobs in the National Toll Administration will be guaranteed for the next four months.
Earlier, RIA employees protested under the slogan “Security and predictability of jobs in RIA“. Inspector at the National Toll Administration Slavi Slavov said that the demands are not for higher salaries, but for preserving jobs.