Trade unions would ask employers' organisation for a 17.57 per cent increase of salaries on an annual basis, Dnevnik daily said on April 15 2008.

Trade unions met to discuss Bulgaria’s income policy in light of the inflation figures for 2007 when year-on-year inflation was recorded at 8.4 per cent.

More worrying are the latest inflation figures announced by National Statistical Institute on April 14 2008 which showed that year-on-year inflation rose to 14.2 per cent in March, the highest recorded in Bulgaria since May 1998, when it was 18.8 per cent.

Trade unions are expected to have talks with employers organisation on April 16 2008 when they will present their demands for salary increases.