Employees of Bulgaria’s Hail Suppression Agency Staged a Protest

Employees of Bulgaria’s Hail Suppression Agency protested on 3 July to demand higher salaries. 90% of the employees in the Agency receive 360 BGN (180 Euro) monthly after taxes. Meanwhile, their shifts are 36 hours long and they protect agricultural produce worth about 300 million BGN each season.

The protest took place at 23 anti hail rocket launching grounds (out of a total of 200). The employees were at their work place, the equipment was switched on, but they did not work. Their demands were for 20% salary increases and better work conditions. According to them, they have been promised higher pay since 2015, but have not received it yet.

The largest number of protesters gathered at two of the largest anti hail grounds in the country - Popovitsa and Golyam Chardak in South Bulgaria.

A compromise was reached after an urgent meeting with Bulgaria’s Minister of Agriculture, Roumen Porozhanov, the Head of the anti hail storms agency, Vanyo Slaveev and the trade unions, at which an agreement was signed.

According to the document, the salary of the employees will increase from 2018, and by then they will receive a one-time additional payment, which, spread by the months to the end of 2017, makes approximately 18% pay rise a month.

Minister Porozhanov also said that, according to him, the dissatisfaction of the Agency's staff was carefully directed by external forces for political purposes, noting that political figures were seen at the protest.

Vanyo Slaveev, Director of the Hail Suppression Agency said that the rocket launching staff work actively about 5 months per year, but for this job, for these 5 months, they get year-round salaries.

The protesters, who knew in the morning what would be signed, voiced dissatisfaction, he added. They insisted on higher pay as of 1 July, but obviously this will not happen. The problem is that they are civil servants and the increase in their pay is done under a special mechanism and cannot be done, as in private enterprises, for example, he said. It is true, though, that they get really low salaries, Slaveev noted.

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