Today, FTTU signed a Cooperation Agreement with Sofia Municipality, which guarantees the implementation of the agreed wage increase for employees in the public urban transport of Sofia in accordance with Council of Ministers Decree (PMS) 217/13.03.2026.

The agreement regulates the implementation of the increase in basic wages of all workers and employees in "Stolichan Avtotransport" EAD, "Stolichan Elektrotransport" EAD, "Metropolitan" EAD and "Urban Mobility Center" EAD by EUR 62 per month, with retroactive effect from January 1, 2026.

The meeting was attended by the Chairman of FTTU, Eng. Aleksandar Shopov, the Chief Economist of CITUB, Assoc. Prof. Lyuboslav Kostov, the Mayor of Sofia Municipality, Vasil Terziev, and his team, the managements of "Metropolitan" EAD, "Stolichan Elektrotransport" EAD, "Stolichan Avtotransport" EAD and "Urban Mobility Center" EAD, as well as the chairmen of the trade union organizations in the companies – Svetoslav Iliev, Emiliya Ivanova and Vladimir Tsvetanov.

This increase was not achieved by chance. Following the protests organized by CITUB and FTTU, the caretaker government allocated EUR 8.36 million in additional funding to Sofia Municipality. Subsequently, following the meetings and negotiations between the Mayor of Sofia Municipality and the trade union organizations, and thanks to the Municipality, additional funds were secured, allowing the agreed increase to become a reality.

Nevertheless, FTTU cannot fail to criticize the content of the signed agreement. At our insistence, a commitment was included in it to launch new negotiations for a subsequent agreement within 10 working days after the adoption of the Sofia Municipality budget. It is precisely this text that opens the opportunity for the trade unions to bring the issue of a new wage increase to the table this year, and FTTU will continue to insist that this happens with each subsequent budget.

Unfortunately, the agreement did not include a number of FTTU proposals, which we consider key to the future of public transport in Sofia. There are no specific commitments for:

• improvement of working conditions;

• policy for attracting, training and retaining young workers and specialists;

• long-term development and modernization of public urban transport;

• restoration of a permanently functioning Council for Social Cooperation with Sofia Municipality – a mechanism that over the years has proven its effectiveness in managing the sector and has worked successfully with a number of previous mayors.

The shortage of staff in transport continues to deepen, and without a consistent policy for investment in people, working conditions and social dialogue, the problems will not be solved solely with a one-time salary increase.

FTTU will continue to consistently defend the interests of transport workers and to insist on higher incomes, better working conditions, active social dialogue and a long-term policy for the development of public transport in Sofia. The fight for decent pay does not end with this agreement – it continues.