[size=75:9ixp04ty]novinite December 11, 2009

Bulgaria Police to Hold Smoking Protest over Lack of Bonuses

Police officers from around Bulgaria will “smoke” outside the Interior Ministry on Saturday in sign of protest against unfair treatment against them, police union representative Ivan Savov confirmed Friday.

Savov stated that the reasons for the smoking protest are the ongoing lack of dialogue between management and employees at the Ministry and he added that the protest at 11:00 am Saturday in Sofia and outside Interior Ministry buildings throughout the country, will mark one year since the first such protests in Bulgaria.

The Bulgarian police officers are reported to be outraged by the fact that the judiciary will be provided money for bonuses and wage supplements where as the police force will not be given any extra money.

Savov concluded that “we have again been ignored by the Interior Ministry...tomorrow I expect most of the officers present to not be a member of the union which shows that there is a wave of discontent throughout the force."

If our local bobbies are anything to go by, standing outside buildings smoking is what they do anyway!

Very true, Chris,

In my experience, they do not move at all unless an actual criminal accidentally rolls up. However, they do cause problems for innocent people wherever they can in Balchik, at least.

Regards, C.

[size=75:393834hf]Sofia echo 12 March 2010

Bulgarian police stage further protests against poor working conditions and low salaries

Police officers will gather on March 20 2010 in Sofia outside the Ivan Vazov national theatre for another protest against poor working conditions and low salaries, the Federation of Interior Ministry’s Employees (FIME) said on March 12 2010.

At the rally, which is scheduled to start at noon, police will demand higher salaries that they believe are more compatible with the responsibilities and risks they confront. Police officers also demand an improvement to their working conditions, noting, for example, that they have been forced to save petrol.

The protest follows unfulfilled promises from the Interior Ministry’s leadership and a lack of concrete results from FIME’s meeting with Prime Minister Boiko Borissov, FIME said on its website.

In February 2010, FIME sent Borissov a letter with 11 demands regarding police officers' working conditions and salaries.

Over the past year, police officers have staged several gatherings outside the Interior Ministry building to protest against low salaries and poor working conditions.

In September 2009, several hundred police officers and their relatives gathered on Sofia’s Sveta Nedelya square to demand tougher punishment for those who attack police and also against police officers who abuse their power.

The gathering was spurred by several recent cases of attacks on police officers as well as court sentences that police believe were too lenient. This was the first gathering of off-duty police officers since Borissov's Government took office in July 2009.

By law, police officers on duty cannot organise any form of public protest, hence the protests were dubbed "
gatherings"
.

The March 20 2010 police protests mark another protest by trade unions against low salaries and delayed payments. On March 11 2010, family doctors ended their nationwide strike.

Doctors complained they have not been paid by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) for January 2010, and demand to be compensated for price changes to medication in the last quarter of 2009.

The strike ended after Borissov met Tsvetan Raichinov, head of the Bulgarian doctors' union, and agreed that by March 10 all funds owed to doctors, dentists, clinics and hospitals would be paid.

coriolanus wrote:

Very true, Chris,

In my experience, they do not move at all unless an actual criminal accidentally rolls up. However, they do cause problems for innocent people wherever they can in Balchik, at least.

Regards, C.

Who are the innocent people you refer to. Anybody in particular?????

The police cannot organise public protests so they call them "
gatherings"

If the hat fits then wear it

[size=75:1dp8t9g1]novinite 14 March 2010

Bulgaria's Police Syndicates Set for New Strike

Bulgaria’s police syndicates have announced that a new strike is going to take place on Saturday, March 20.

The Syndicate Federation of the Interior Ministry Employees are staging the protest under the slogan “Let’s Bring the Interior Ministry back to the People.”

The unionists say that the new protest is the result of a failure on part of the government to meet its commitments to the policemen.

They complain that there have been no specific follow-up results from their meeting with Prime Minister Boyko Borisov on February 10, 2010.

The syndicates point out Borisov has committed to set aside state money for improving the equipment and social packages of the Interior Ministry as soon as fresh funds enter the state budget.