How will the crisis with the surface public transport in Sofia, a city of two million people, be resolved and where is the solution, given the protests and the impending demonstration in support of Mayor Terziev? The mayor of the capital said that he would submit his proposal for a vote in the Municipal Council - for an increase in bonuses.
Municipal councilor from GERB Anton Hekimyan made new accusations against the capital's mayor on the air of the "Na Fokus" program. "Sofia is blocked by Vasil Terziev because he does not want to talk to the people. We have been listening to general talk for a year and a half, but we are observing stubborn governance. When we initially warned about this, they took it as a political attack. The mayor was dramatically late with the negotiations with the transport workers - they should have happened even before the protests. Terziev knew a month and a half before they started that there would be some. Despite this, he did not sit down at the table with the workers to negotiate. The unions made a concession. The mayor was resting on Saturday and Sunday, we wasted time. It is insulting to call the protesters a mafia. A solution can be achieved through the bonus system," said Hekimyan.
Since Wednesday, the capital has been without working ground public transport due to a strike aimed at achieving higher wages. Only the metro was operating without interruption. The civil discontent of the drivers continues, and there were no signals of possible new negotiations with the municipality during the holidays. The capital's metro continues to operate normally.
The unions and Mayor Vasil Terziev are expected to meet on Monday. The Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions (CITUB) categorically stated on NOVA that they will not back down from their demands any further, because they have already made a concession - namely from 400 to 300 leva, which they are asking for in addition to the salaries of those working in public transport.
For her part, Bonka Vasileva from DSB explained that the Sofia Municipality is the principal of the transport companies. "We, as municipal councilors, are also principals. There are suggestions that there were no negotiations. The PP does not have a majority in the Municipal Council, others make the decisions. The new directors and boards of the Sofia transport companies were appointed "in the dark". People were appointed whom no one knows and who have no business proposals with a perspective. Now we are faced with an illegal blockade of the exits of the public transport depots, but this is not a strike or a protest. Terziev made tolerable and realistic proposals, consistent with the money with which the municipality can operate. However, the other side refuses. The state must help - about 20 million leva are needed. The unions are politically tied. Now is the right time to reform the capital's transport companies," commented Vasileva.
On Monday, the transport, economic and financial committees of the Sofia City Council will meet in extraordinary session to discuss possible solutions to the blockade. In the meantime, the Ministry of Education and Science has formed a headquarters due to the problems with transport and the upcoming matriculation exams, in order to ensure the travel of students for the important exams.