One-hour-long warning strike by Bulgarian school teachers will commemorate the first day of the new school year on September 15 2007.

An automobile rally and a day of silence at school will follow, respectively on September 19 and 20, mediapool.bg reported.

The teachers will launch an effective strike on September 24 2007, syndicate leaders announced.

Demands for higher salaries are the reasons for the protests.

Education Minister Daniel Vulchev said on September 10, that “some misunderstandings” regarding the height of the salaries cited in the media were clarified on a special council in the ministry.

The average teacher’s salary is 444.20 leva as of July 1 2007, after a 10 percent increase of the monthly wages, Vulchev said. The teachers will receive a 13th salary, which will raise the average salary to 472.11 leva, he said.
 
According to the syndicates and teachers’ organisations, they failed to agree on the salaries with the Education Ministry. Syndicate leader Yanka Takieva refuted Vulchev, saying that the average monthly wage was only 340.78 leva