Bulgarian Social Minister: Thumbs Up for Minimum Hourly Wage

Bulgaria's Social Policy and Labor Minister, Totuy Mladenov, says the minimum hourly wage will provide more flexibility of the labor market. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Social Policy and Labor Minister, Totyu Mladenov, supports the proposal of introducing a minimum hourly wage in Bulgaria.

Mladenov says the proposal of the Chair of the Parliamentary Budget Committee, Menda Stoyanova, from the ruling, center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, GERB, party will be discussed during the meeting of the National Council for Three-Way Partnership between the cabinet, the business and the trade unions.

According to the Minister, who still favors the minimum monthly wage as well, the hourly wage will provide more flexibility of the labor market.

The idea also received the support of the Chair of the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA), Dimitar Brankov, who points out it would allow people to have several jobs, adding international experience shows countries with minimum hourly wages have the lowest unemployment rate.

Mladenov, however, stated the introduction of such wage would raise issues with the guarantee of labor and insurance rights of part-time workers. Brankov explained in other countries these employees sign contracts which also guarantee their rights.

The two spoke during the endorsement of a class labor contract in the metallurgic sector, providing better social benefits for 12 000 metal-workers.

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