Sofia Braces for Doctors, Workers' Protest

A workers and doctors' protest rally is expected to bring together thousands in Sofia on October 7. Photo by BGNES

Workers from Bulgarian manufacturing industries are expected to join forces with doctors and medical staff in a national protest rally in Sofia on October 7, 2010.

About 20 000 workers from the processing industry will rally in Sofia against the government's intentions for pension reform, announced the deputy head of the Confederation of Independent Bulgarian Syndicates (KNSB), Plamen Dimitrov.

The trade unions are firmly against the adoption of the current draft pension reform law, which will be raising the minimum retirement age, among other unpopular provisions.

The workers' protest rally is supposed to merge with the planned national protest on October 7, announced last week by the Bulgarian Doctors' Union.

The medics will be protesting against the cuts of state financing for the health care, and the generally unclear reform situation in the sector.

They have refused to call off their protest even as Health Minister Anna-Maria Borisova resigned on Wednesday, and was replaced on Thursday by the Deputy Chair of their Doctors' Union, Stefan Konstantinov.

Earlier this week, Bulgarian Prime Minister Borisov said he would resign if a wave of strikes and protests emerged in the country; in his words, such a development would be unfair because the government has managed not to raise taxes and reduces salaries despite the economic crisis.

This statement led President Parvanov to offer criticism disguised as friendly advice on Friday.

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