Doctors and Nurses Across Bulgaria Rally for Fair Wages and Safer Workplace

Doctors and nurses across Bulgaria staged coordinated protests yesterday, calling for higher pay and better protection against violence in the workplace, BGNES reported. Demonstrations took place in six cities, with participants in Sofia gathering in front of the Health Ministry and others protesting in front of municipal buildings in Plovdiv, Pleven, Burgas, Varna, and Stara Zagora.

The health workers’ demands include fair pay, improved working conditions, and regulated working hours. In the capital, protestors carried signs reading messages such as "No motivation!", "I want a future in Bulgaria!", "Healthcare is a national priority, not a patchwork issue!", "Stop making us donors to European healthcare!", "Let me raise my children in my homeland!", "You hold us with morality, you pay us with mockery!", "Health is not a commodity!", "Salary: max 2,000 leva, rent: min 1,200 leva.", and "I stand here in place of 100 colleagues who would lose their jobs if seen here." Chants of "No motivation!" and "We want a dignified future in Bulgaria!" echoed through the crowds.

Kalina Eneva, a medical student at Sofia University working as an intensive care nurse, spoke of the challenging working conditions. She argued that fair compensation is essential for them to deliver quality care, adding that she earns between 800 and 900 leva for part-time work while studying. Eneva said the protests would continue until they see meaningful change.

Third-year medical students Simeon Stanchev and Niya Todorova expressed their concerns as they near graduation. Stanchev stressed that the protests are not aimed at the current government alone but at an entire system that has long failed them. He drew inspiration from recent successful protests by Sofia’s transport workers, who secured funding after prolonged action. Todorova highlighted the lack of clear regulations for securing residency spots, suggesting that connections often matter more than capability. This creates an atmosphere of uncertainty for students like her, who are unsure if they’ll even find a spot to specialize in or if they’ll earn as little as 1,000 leva for such roles.

Stanchev also pointed out that even top-performing graduates, the so-called “golden Hippocrates,” sometimes struggle to find placements in Bulgaria, making it easier for them to find specializations abroad.

Vasilena Dimitrova, another third-year student at the Medical University in Sofia, echoed these frustrations. She emphasized the need for fair pay and improved conditions to ensure the next generation of medical professionals remains motivated to stay in Bulgaria. Having worked as a nurse for two years already, Dimitrova said they are counting on talks with government representatives but will continue protesting within the limits of the law if necessary.

In Plovdiv, the protest took place on Unity Square, where healthcare professionals decried the low wages they receive. They noted that the average salary of a young doctor in a public hospital is just under 2,000 leva, while nurses earn about 1,500 leva. Many said they have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet, which endangers both their health and the well-being of their patients. The system’s underfunding, coupled with a lack of incentives for young professionals, is driving many to consider leaving the profession.

In Burgas, around 300 healthcare workers, including school and kindergarten nurses, joined the protest in front of the Municipality building. They called not just for higher pay but also for better working conditions and a larger budget for the National Health Insurance Fund. They also demanded faster and tougher penalties for violence against medical workers, while voicing disappointment over the lack of union support.

Doctors in Varna rallied in front of the Municipality building, determined to draw attention to the crisis in Bulgaria’s healthcare sector. Participants, including young specialists and residents, demanded equitable pay and better prospects for career development. Many pointed out that the salary for a young doctor is not in line with the years of training required for the job, forcing many to consider moving abroad.

Recently, the Union of Bulgarian Medical Specialists called for salaries to be increased to 150% of the average national wage and for significant improvements to working conditions, warning they are ready to strike if necessary. Their main demand is to tie the base salary of young and specialist doctors to 3.5 times the minimum wage.

Currently, young doctors in Bulgaria start with a salary of 1,000 leva. Meanwhile, trade union groups from the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria and Podkrepa have also threatened protests if the Minister of Health does not convene the sectoral council within the first ten days of June to start negotiations for a new Collective Labor Agreement.