Sofia's Public Transport Faces Disruption as Workers Protest Against Political Inaction

Workers from the Metropolitan City Transport in Sofia are planning a protest, organized by the Federation of Transport Workers "Podkrepa" and the Union of Transport Trade Unions in Bulgaria, reports BNR. The protest is set to take place in front of the Metropolitan Municipality and aims to highlight unfulfilled promises made by politicians. Ivan Kirilov, the chairman of the Federation of Transport Workers "Podkrepa," emphasized in an interview with BNR, that the demonstration is not politically motivated and is unrelated to the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Kirilov explained that if no satisfactory outcome is reached, public transport workers might stage an effective strike next week, halting services for an hour on a weekday morning between 8:00 and 9:00. He mentioned that the protest would escalate to this measure if their demands remain unaddressed.

The union leader noted that a meeting with Mayor Vasil Terziev, initially requested in August, only occurred at the beginning of October. Despite the meeting, the transport workers have yet to receive a definitive response from the mayor regarding whether he will honor the commitments outlined in the agreement.

Kirilov revealed that the union's intention is for the bonus system to be implemented in 2025. However, they are pressing for these changes to take effect within the current calendar year. He expressed skepticism over the delay, suggesting that it might be an attempt to defer the union's demands for wage increases until next year.