Nurses at two nurseries in Bulgaria's Stara Zagagora, who have been on strike since November 12 over demands for increased salaries have announced to hold a protest meeting in front of the building of the regional administration on November 14.

The protest meeting was scheduled for 16.30, Focus news agency said.

Ivanka Danailova, spokesperson for the regional structures of KNSB union in Stara Zagora said all those who work in the nurseries would take part in the meeting and would be supported by their colleagues from the school health services. "The nurses have the support from the city university hospital and from the union of Bulgarian teachers," Danailova said.

"We will insist to receive the demanded salary increase of 10 per cent a of July. A request will be given to the municipality to increase salaries in the 2008 budget," she said.

Nurses in Bulgarian nurseries are under the Health Ministry instead of the Education Ministry and were not part of the teachers' protests and subsequent negotiations over increased teachers salaries in September and October 2007.

About 1000 children are affected by the strike in the two nurseries in Stara Zagora.