Today, a meeting was held at the Council of Ministers between the Minister of Finance Georgi Klisurski and the Minister of Transport Korman Ismailov, with the participation of the President of CITUB Plamen Dimitrov, the Chairman of FTTU Eng. Aleksandar Shopov, and the chairmen of the trade union organizations within FTTU.

As a result of the talks held and following the protests and persistent demands of FTTU–CITUB, the Council of Ministers is allocating funds amounting to over 5.7 million euros for municipalities across the country, as well as over 8 million euros for Sofia Municipality. The funding will allow for a 5% salary increase for public transport employees – in Sofia, Varna, and Ruse, as well as in other cities in the country, starting from January 1, 2026.

This decision is an important step towards acknowledging the work of those employed in public transport and proves that when trade unions consistently stand by their demands, results are possible.

The Chairman of FTTU commented: "I thank the caretaker government for the quick response. They were the only ones who heard the voices of the workers. Naturally, we will continue our talks with the regular government – whichever it may be – regarding the funding of public transport, because not only is a salary increase necessary, but also the improvement of working conditions. Let me address those wishing to carry out reforms in public transport – no matter how and who intends to make these reforms, they will not happen without the trade unions!"

Federation of Transport Trade Unions emphasizes that the demands for a minimum of 10% increase in the remuneration of urban transport workers in Sofia, Varna, and Ruse remain. Discussions on this topic are pending with the regular government, with the mayors of the respective municipalities, as well as with the employers in the sector through the mechanisms of collective bargaining.

You can watch the press conference here: