The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy is considering a new mechanism to determine the minimum wage, bTV reports. In recent years, the wage has been set at 50% of the average wage in the country and is currently 620 euros.
The idea is for the minimum wage to vary by industry and be negotiated with social partners, rather than being determined unilaterally by the state.
The proposal is for a new mechanism for negotiating by industry in 2027.
In the center of the Sliven village of Krushare, Maria Neycheva works in a dünerdzhiynitsa. The money she receives is the minimum for the country – 620 euros. She says that her family only manages to pay the bills for the month because her husband also works.
„I don't live luxuriously, but I have to cover my needs. I pay for electricity, water, internet, television. We have to set aside a little for the grandchildren, there is nothing else“, says Maria Neycheva.
The unions are categorical – first talks, and then a decision on whether to keep the current mechanism for the minimum wage.
„I kindly ask that no one propose a change in the minimum wage without asking the workers in this country and their representatives – the unions. There must be a national minimum wage and it must be adequate, taking into account the cost of living, with 50% of the average being the minimum“, commented Lyuboslav Kostov from the Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions.
The main argument of the business has remained unchanged for years – In many areas of the country, the minimum wage of 620 euros is actually a large percentage of the average wage. This is the case in Vidin, Smolyan and Blagoevgrad, for example, where it exceeds 60%.
„It has proven to be ineffective for the Bulgarian economy. In some areas of the country, it has reached the absurd point where the minimum wage is over 60%, almost 70% of the average wage in the areas, which makes no economic sense. So any attempt to reformat this mechanism is positive“, points out Mihail Krastev from the Union for Business Initiative.
At her workplace, Maria calculates that with the rise in prices, incomes must necessarily increase. That is why she hopes that the minimum wage will increase. She also calculates how much it should be.
„Since all prices are rising, it must be raised. "It should have been 700, then everything went up," says Maria Neycheva.
According to current regulations, the minimum wage for 2027 must be determined by September 1.