Workers in cultural institutions protest, demands for higher pay

Tension during the protest of employees of cultural institutions, which took place in Sofia on December 6. Police pushed back protesters as they tried to enter the Council of Ministers. The participants in the action stated that they were offended that no one from the Council of Ministers wanted to meet with them and discuss the problems in the sector. The protesters marched to the Ministry of Culture, where a meeting with the Minister or Deputy Minister of Culture is expected. The people said they would prepare effective strike action if their demands were not heard.

Those working in the field of musical and performing arts, theatres, museums, libraries, community centres, the Bulgarian National Radio, the State Agency "Archives", the Bulgarian National Film Library are once again protesting against the low salaries.

Their main demands are for legislative changes to be made to guarantee the budget necessary to increase all incomes and remunerations, as written in the government programme, a tangible and sustainable increase in the budget for culture to stop "the humiliation to which all working in the sector are subjected".