Bus, Tram and Trolleybus Public Transport Services in Sofia Remain Suspended After 12.00 p.m. Due to Workers' Protest, Unions Announced

Ground public transport in Sofia will not run after noon on May 14 due to the protest of transport workers. The demonstration will continue until a meeting is held between the protesters and the responsible institutions — namely, the Ministry of Finance and the Sofia Municipality — announced Todor Kapitanov, Vice President of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria, to protesters gathered in front of the tram depot in the "Banishora" district on May 14.

"With the expiration of the official protest permit at 12:00, we are transitioning to civil disobedience," Kapitanov stated. "Let the institutions decide whether and for how long we will continue," he added. The protest will last one more hour, and after 1:00 p.m., the unions will decide whether to extend it further. They are prepared to block key intersections in the capital.

The lack of communication with the responsible institutions is yet another proof that they are not interested in public transport workers and working conditions, the unions believe. After the announced extension of the protest, two telephones were symbolically broken - one symbolizing their communication with the Ministry of Finance and one with the Sofia Municipality.