A national meeting which will block the entire Sofia city centre for half a day is what the teachers' unions have announced for October 11.

The strike committee has called on teachers, parents and students to assemble at 11.00 in front of the Council of Ministers and at 14.00 in front of Parliament, Za Grada said.

On October 8, negotiations continued between unions and experts of the Education Ministry. Education Minister Daniel Vulchev opened the negotiations.

Journalists have not been allowed to attend the meeting.

Participants in the negotiations were chief secretary of the Education Ministry Dimitar Tanev, Sonya Krustanova, director finance department at the Education Ministry, Atanas Katsrchev, adviser to Finance Minister Plamen Oresharski, Krum Krumov, president of Education Union and Mika Zaikova, economic adviser of trade union Podkrepa.

Leaders from unions KNSB and Podkrepa, the three teachers' unions and the national strike committee had demanded Prime Minster Sergei Stanishev to attend the negotiations.

According to the unions, 91 per cent of the staff in the educational system has joined the strike as it is beginning its third week.

Source: Za Grada
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