The Bulgarian Ministry of Justice issued a statement that the state budget for 2013 will include funds to satisfy demands by workers in Bulgaria's prisons, who went out on protest Sunday.

Several hundred prison guards assembled in front of the Justice Ministry in central Sofia to demand better working conditions and higher payment.

Among the grievances workers voiced is the excessive number of prisoners each one of them has to take care of, rampant extra working hours they have to serve, as well as failure to pay the additional statutory benefits the state owes them.

"In Bulgaria, one prison ward has to take care for 80-300 prisoners. There are no adequate medics and psychologists to help us. We are under constant and excessive stress," said protesters.

"It is certain that Bulgaria's state budget for 2013 will include the funds requested by protesting prison workers," said the Ministry of Justice in a subsequent statement.

The Ministry added that it is in a constant dialogue with the Ministry of Finance on that matter, as well as that it will implement reforms to more adequately track and remunerate labor done by workers in prisons.

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