Bulgaria's GERB Yields to Retirement Age Protests

Politics » DOMESTIC | December 1, 2011, Thursday // 08:13
Bulgaria: Bulgaria's GERB Yields to Retirement Age Protests Iskra Fidosova, a key GERB MP, has explained that the measure would affect less than 9 000 people in 2012. Photo by dnevnik.bg

Bulgaria's ruling centrist-right GERB has yielded to Wednesday's massive protest against the sudden retirement age upping in the country with one year in 2012, proposing a more gradual increase over the next three years.

After a three-hour meeting with representatives of the main Bulgarian syndicates, GERB has proposed a retirement age upping only for employees of the so called third category of labor (jobs considered to be the least heavy or risky) with four months each year until 2014.

The new proposal would affect just 8 670 Bulgarian citizens in 2012, Iskra Fidosova, a key GERB MP, told the bTV private channel, adding that she believed at least 70% of these would have preferred to continue working anyway.

Late on Wednesday, GERB's parliamentary group was expected to discuss the new proposal with Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and Finance Minister Simeon Djankov.

Some 30 000 Bulgarians organized by the country's two major labor unions  gathered in the capital Sofia on Wednesday to protest against the government's planned changes in the retirement system.

The syndicates were outraged by the controversial and sudden increase of retirement age and eliminating years of service in determining wages of State servants – both brainchildren of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov.

The rally coincided with the ongoing strike at the heavily-indebted Bulgarian State Railways, BDZ Holding.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!

Domestic » Be a reporter: Write and send your article
Tags: Retirement age, retirement reform, protests, GERB, Simeon Djankov, Boyko Borisov

Advertisement
Advertisement
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria