Bulgarian Trade Union Launches Nation-Wide Protests

Novinte, Tuesday 23 September 2003

Bulgaria's Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) launched Tuesday a nation-wide protest against government's economic and social policies. The first protest rally starts in the city of Stara Zagora, and CITUB branches in other 17 regions of the country are said to be prepared to join the demonstrations.

One of the main reason for people's discontent, from which the need for the rallies emerged, is that the state still haven't paid workers wages totaling some BGN 120 M, members of the Confederation's national strike committee claimed.

The CITUB insists on a 10-percent wages increase in 2003—a demand that Bulgarian ministers already turned down earlier in September.

The campaign, called “Solidarity for Rights and Justice”, is planned to continue until October 17.