Trade Unions Propose Establishment of Crisis Response Task Force and Call for Support for Business Amid High Electricity Costs

The caretaker cabinet has discussed the establishment of a crisis response task force with trade unions, following a meeting at the Council of Ministers with KT "Podkrepa" (Support) and the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (CITUB) on March 26. KT “Podkrepa" requested the creation of a “Crises” fund, financed from the fiscal reserve, while CITUB called for support for the transport sector, a cap on goods mark-ups, and assistance for businesses facing high electricity costs.

The meeting between the caretaker government and union representatives lasted nearly an hour. At its conclusion, the unions outlined the discussions: the creation of a dedicated crisis management task force including representatives from the National Revenue Agency, the Commission for Protection of Competition, and the Commission for Consumer Protection. They also requested a fund that would operate independently of whether the state is under an extended budget and would provide resources to cover critical situations, such as the current surge in fuel prices.

CITUB has called for much broader support for businesses, which are carrying the greatest load.

Lyuboslav Kostov of CITUB said: “Measures must be introduced to ensure that people do not lose their purchasing power – which is happening at the moment. We proposed various solutions, such as subsidising public transport so that service prices do not rise. A cap on mark-ups should be introduced, as it is clear that for food products the difference between wholesale and retail reaches up to 90 per cent, in a way that does not affect Bulgarian producers. Support to businesses should also be provided becasue of high electricity prices. Measures should be guaranteed that at least prevent any reduction in purchasing power. The caretaker Prime Minister promised to consider our proposals as well as those from the business sector.”

Ioannis Parteonis, Vice President of Podkrepa trade union: “What they plan to do is establish a task force that will include representatives from the country’s three main oversight bodies – the Commission for Protection of Competition, the National Revenue Agency, and the Commission for Consumer Protection. We proposed to the government the creation of a dedicated fund or other mechanism, called ‘Crises’, to respond to the successive crises of the past 15 years. Funding could come from the fiscal reserve.”

The unions also urged the government, despite its caretaker mandate, to begin preparing a regular budget, as there is no time to delay and the country cannot be left operating under an extended budget framework.