Bulgarian union confederation foresees autumn strikes and protests unless demands met
The Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) foresees a hard autumn with protests in many sectors unless a number of unresolved issues are addressed in the 2014 national Budget.
Speaking on September 25 during a protest by postal employees, Plamen Dimitrov, leader of CITUB – which brings together more than 30 unions and labour federations – said, “Bulgarian Posts were the first, and according to me, there will be protests in the coal sector too, followed by protests spreading throughout the entire energy sector, which is fraught with imbalances because the changes don’t seem to be working”.
There was also tension in the transport sector, where state railways BDZ was “on the brink of collapse,” Dimitrov said.
One of the major problems facing the embattled Bulgarian Socialist Party government, which took office in May 2013, is the energy sector. It has attempted minor reforms in its first 100 days in office, mainly intended as a quick-fix to keep consumer prices down, with the effect if any of these changes remaining to be seen.
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