Pay Rise in Healthcare Sector in Question After Fallout Between Employers, Trade Unions
Bulgarian health minister Desislava Atanasova, healthcare employers and local trade unions have failed to sign a collective labour agreement, which provides for salaries in the country’s healthcare sector to be increased.
"Shortly before the news conference it emerged that there is an outstanding issue between the employers and the trade unions," the state-run Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) quoted Atanasova as saying on Tuesday.
The two sides failed to agree on a controversial text in the collective labour agreement that guarantees the financial stability of healthcare establishments, BTA cited the chairman of the Association of Health Employers, Dimiter Dimitrov, as saying.
The employers have submitted a new provision which extends the timeframe of the negotiations.
On Monday Minister Atanasova said that medical staff wages will increase between 10 and 20% on average after a collective labour agreement is signed on Tuesday.