The employees of the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC) demanded 5% salaries increase in a special declaration, addressed to the Transport Ministry. Many employees from Sofia, Pleven, Stara Zagora and other towns, protested today in front of the central building of the company. They protest was in the framework of the national demonstration organized by the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB). Federation “Telecommunications” with Bulgaria’s trade union “Podkrepa” threatened during the week to file a claim against the state in Strasbourg in case that new collective labour contract between the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company and its employees is not signed. Earlier during the week, the trade unions warned that will block the privatization of the telecom with protests against the government’s refusal to the employees 20% preference shares in the company. The company’s sell-off plan does not envisage the workers to acquire BTC shares since the new Privatization Act dropped such preferences. According to syndicates’ estimations some 10 thousand people will be sacked in the 2-3 years following the BTC privatization. At the moment 25 500 people work there but after 80% network digitalization, about 16 thousands are to remain.

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