The transport blockade of Sofia continues for a second day, BNT reported. In search of a solution, Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev invited the protesters who are demanding a salary increase to a meeting in the municipality today.
This has come to this point after it was initially announced that there would be no ground public transport in Sofia from early morning until 12 p.m. on Wednesday, but then the protesters declared civil disobedience.
Their demands are for a phased increase in salaries by 400 leva this year to 600 leva in 2027. The protest also became an occasion for political sparks between the Minister of Finance and the Sofia Municipality. Unlike yesterday, today is a school day, and the only public transport currently remains the Sofia metro, which runs on schedule.
The proposals for salary increases announced by Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev do not meet the approval of transport workers. This was stated yesterday by the Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions (CITUB).
The meeting with the mayor will take place on Thursday at 2 p.m., the Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions (CITUB) also announced.
"There is no way there will be a 400 leva increase for everyone in the four companies. What we are working on is a 100% increase in the bonus, so that there will be a 400 leva increase, but only for those working in electric and road transport. In the "Metropolitan" the gross salary of a driver is 4,800 leva without much overtime. In road transport it is 3,900 leva with an extremely high amount of overtime. We have to solve the problem where it exists," Terziev commented in a television interview last night.
And he explained that the framework he will propose is a starting salary of 1,780 leva plus the promised 100 leva - 1,880 leva. If the average bonus of 290 leva increases by 100%, this would add another 290 leva to the total amount.
"That is, we would provide 290 leva plus 100 leva - the 400 leva that they are looking for," the mayor emphasized.