Capital Gridlock Looms: Sofia Transport Staff Protest Over Delayed Pay Rise

City transport workers in Sofia staged another protest today in front of the Municipal Council building, just an hour before councilors were set to reconvene and vote once again on the city’s budget. Their message was clear: if the budget isn’t adopted, the capital’s transport system may grind to a halt as early as tomorrow.

The protest is being led jointly by the Federation of Transport Unions under the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) and the Federation of Transport Workers with Podkrepa. Workers from various departments of Sofia’s surface transport system gathered to demand the 300 leva salary increase that had already been approved at a municipal council session on May 29, but which has yet to be implemented due to Mayor Vasil Terziev's decision to return the budget for reconsideration.

Frustration among transport workers is growing. One employee shared that this is now the third consecutive month without a raise. According to him, conditions have not changed, but staff continue to resign - ten people are leaving this month from just one depot. He pointed out that many drivers are working between 80 to 90 hours of overtime each month, trying to keep the system running. He warned that if no resolution is reached today, transport services could be suspended altogether. “They won’t mock our work any longer,” he said. “I hope there’s a decision today. Otherwise, there will be no buses, no trams, no trolleys tomorrow.”

In a symbolic gesture, protestors plan to hand out empty jars labeled “No budget – no salary increase” to municipal councilors attending the session. Each jar will be offered for 10 stotinki as a pointed reminder of the pay raise that hasn’t materialized.

While traffic on Moskovska Street was blocked by the demonstration, surface transport services in Sofia - buses, trams, and trolleys - were still operating today. Still, tensions remain high over unmet promises.

The workers’ demands center on the immediate adoption of the capital’s budget and the salary increase of 300 leva per employee. The protest is being held under the slogan “Budget and salary increase now!” and recalls the events of May, when similar demonstrations resulted in the partial suspension of city transport services for several days.

To address the unfolding crisis, the government allocated 15 million leva to Sofia Municipality earlier this year. However, with the budget vote still unresolved, those funds remain out of reach, and the workers’ patience is wearing thin.