(September 2016) The vpod/ssp public services union is joining others in the federal public sector to call for negotiations over pay increases in 2017. The unions have reacted to government figures showing that the budget outcome for 2016 will be a surplus rather than the forecast deficit and the unions argue that this means that the proposed pay freeze for 2017 needs to be withdrawn and a pay rise negotiated.
Unions call for negotiations after budget surplus
More like this
Union calls for negotiations after court rulings
The FSC-CCOO federation has called on the government urgently to convene negotiations covering national administration to resolve the question of bonus payments from December 2012. The bonuses were cut by the government as one of a number of cuts in the pay and conditions of public sector workers. However, court judgements since then have challenged the legality of these cuts and now unions argue that the government should negotiate rather than leave it to be settled by a range of different legal actions and rulings. The latest case ruling involved a prison official and was supported by the
Unions secure budget and pay improvements
Protests organised by the CITUB and Podkrepa confederations have produced positive outcomes in the state budget with additional funds for a range of public services include provisions for pay increases in several areas. Municipal administrations will get BGN 30.3m (€15.5m) for salary increases while pay in regional administrations is set to rise by 10% on average. Workers covered by interior ministry responsibilities could see pay rises of up to 20% while employees in agencies dealing with social assistance, employment and labour inspection will see personnel costs increase by BGN 26m (€13m)
Nothing in budget for health and public services workers
Following the large demonstration in October in support of a pay rise for public service workers, unions are angry and disappointed that the government has failed to respond. Marián Magdoška, president of the KOZ trade union confederation said that unions were presented with the budget for 2022 a day before a tripartite meeting and realised that, despite promises from last year, it didn’t include any provisions to cover even a pay rise to compensate for inflation. The health union is also angry that in negotiations at the end of October the government was effectively blackmailing unions by