Bulgaria's Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (CITUB) held a conference Friday to present a memorandum for social, economic and political development of the country in the period 2013-2017.

At the beginning of the conference, CITUB Chair Plamen Dimitrov noted that he had met with representatives of nationalist party Ataka, the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms party (DPS) and the Bulgaria for Citizens Movement, all of whom had stressed the need to strengthen civic control without diminishing the importance of political formations and the principle of representative democracy.

Dimitrov went on to say that the issue of combating poverty was crucial for Bulgaria and society was divided on the best means to achieve this.

The CITUB Chair reminded that the different political parties in Bulgaria had different views on tax rates but added that the trade union insisted on changing the flat tax rate.

"We are not running after France's Hollande but incomes exceeding 10 minimum wages must be subject to a new tax rate of 15% and a non-taxable income amounting to the minimum wage must be introduced," Dimitrov stated.

He suggested that the steps would fulfill the demands of protesters for greater fairness.

Dimitrov made clear that the memorandum of CITUB contained goals in the spheres of social, economic and foreign policy.

He told journalists that the memorandum stipulated an increase by at least 25% in real terms in the minimum wage and a minimum wage amounting to 50% of the average wage by 2017.

The CITUB Chair explained that the memorandum called for a new economic and fiscal policy, proposing concrete macroeconomic and budgetary measures, a new orientation of the tax policy, an active state and institutions, and speedy EU funds absorption.

Dimitrov also outlined existing problems in Bulgaria's labor market, social security, pension and health insurance systems, social dialogue and collective bargaining.

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