Trade unions and CEZ Bulgaria electricity distribution company, a subsidiary of Czech energy firm CEZ, are yet to reach an agreement on salary hikes after extended talks held on March 4, private broadcaster Nova Televisia reported on March 5.

Trade unions demanded a 25 per cent increase of salaries, but were offered just 17 per cent. The unions claimed that the increase they were demanding would not affect the price of electricity, because it was already covered by last year's price hike, but also by the company's plans to make 600 people redundant.

If the two sides do not reach an agreement in the near future, the unions threatened to go on strike. According to Bulgarian laws, the trade unions cannot go on strike actions because that could threaten electricity supplies to Sofia and western Bulgaria, but the unions could try to circumvent the law by not answering emergency calls and thus blocking operations. 

Denko Roidev, head of the strike committee, told Bulgarian news agency BTA that the median salary in the company was in the 340 to 480 leva range. “This is what 90 per cent of the staff gets,” he said. The company claims that the gross average salary is 786 leva.

Trade unions also fear that CEZ Bulgaria's plans to cut staff would make grid maintenance a challenge, Radoev said.