Syndicate Demands 50% Pay Raise for Bulgarian Police

Pictured: a Bulgarian police protest rally in November 2010. Photo by BGNES

The Bulgarian police syndicate has issued a demand for a 50% increase of officers' salaries, announced its chair Valentin Grozev.

Grozev's announcement comes in the wake of several protests attracting several hundred policemen over the fall with demands for better pay and social benefits, and for the resignation of Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov.

"We understand that the state is in crisis, and has no money. On the other hand, it is interesting how the state always finds money even though it doesn't have any. That is why we claim that the Interior Ministry is squandering money," Grozev said as quoted by BTA.

The unionist believes that policemen's safety is a big issue in Bulgaria, and that the top-ranking police officials enjoy disproportionately greater benefits. He has further demanded slashing the Interior's administration.

"There are too many people in the administration, the optimization should start from the leadership and then go to the regional directorates," Grozev stated.

He revealed that the four protests the syndicate organized in the fall cost BGN 20 000, and were fully funded from membership fees.

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