FTTU organizes mass protests in defense of workers in the urban transport of Varna, Ruse, and Sofia

In recent days, the Federation of Transport and Trade Unions (FTTU) to CITUB organized a series of protests and demonstrations by urban transport workers in Varna, Ruse, and Sofia. The actions are part of the Federation's joint activities to defend workers in the sector.

FTTU is insisting on a minimum 5% wage increase retroactive from January 1, providing sustainable funding for public transport, and a real dialogue with state and municipal institutions.

Varna – March 9, 2026

Over 30 vehicles participated in a motorcade that blocked the Asparuhov Bridge for about an hour. Urban transport workers expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of sufficient funds in the state budget for the sector.

During the protest actions, a meeting was held with the mayor of Varna, Blagomir Kotsev. At the meeting, all parties agreed on the necessity of dialogue and greater support from the state. The mayor expressed readiness to sign a new agreement with FTTU, but emphasized that without guaranteed state funding, the municipality cannot ensure the necessary funds for its implementation.

Ruse – March 10, 2026

Municipal urban transport employees protested, demanding wage increases. The protesters organized a motorcade to the roundabout at the "Arena Ruse" hall, where the movement was blocked for about 30 minutes, causing traffic difficulties.

Approximately 0.55 million euros are needed for a retroactive wage increase from January 1 in the sector.

After a meeting with the mayor of Ruse, Pencho Milkov, a press conference was held where he expressed support for the workers' right to demand decent wages and emphasized that additional state support would help fulfill the commitments made to FTTU.

Sofia – March 11, 2026

Workers from "Sofia Electric Transport", "Sofia Auto Transport", and "Metropolitan" participated in the demonstration at the "Tramcar" depot. The main message of the protest was the need for real dialogue with the institutions and the provision of state subsidies for wage increases.

Back in February, FTTU sent an official invitation to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance, and the Mayor of Sofia to visit the depot and get acquainted with the working conditions on-site. None of the invited institutions responded.

"Today, no blockade of public transport is expected, which is why the flags are on the ground. But in the absence of dialogue, the protesters will resort to strike actions," said the chairman of FTTU, eng. Alexander Shopov.

According to FTTU's calculations, a wage increase retroactive from January 1 in Sofia's urban transport requires a total of 8.38 million euros, distributed as follows:

2.31 million euros for "Sofia Auto Transport", 2.28 million euros for "Sofia Electric Transport",
2.76 million euros for "Metropolitan"
 and 1.03 million euros for the Urban Mobility Center
.

FTTU will continue to insist on a real wage increase, sustainable sector funding, and active dialogue with the institutions. Urban transport workers remain united in defending decent working conditions and fair remuneration.