The nurses’ protest escalated and five of them spent the night in the parliament building. They has barricaded late last night. The nurses have also announced a hunger strike.
This happened after the end of the Health Committee meeting. According to them, their protesting act was not planned in advance.
Their demands are for changes in the health care system, including an increase in wages in the medicine field. They said he received promises by the government last year for higher wages were not kept.
Elena Toneva also pursues this profession. She explained that the act of disobedience was the result of big lies all over the year. The Ministry of Health has made promises but has not kept them. This led to tension.
Maya Ilieva also took an attitude. She explained that the government had voted for a pay increase yesterday. However, none of the administrations were interested in their problems.
A reporter of Iskra.bg reminds you that the protest is open-ended. The nurses continue to demand starting wages of two minimum salaries or at least BGN 950.
The organizers of the demonstration indicated that there are nurses who have published their 700 BGN fiches. Most of them earn BGN 800 but nobody gets BGN 950 salary in the sector.
This morning one of the five barricaded nurses in the National Assembly building went out to the window sill. A National Security Service official tried to persuade her to return but she refused for a long time.
Boyka Atanasova works at Pirogov hospital and announced that her colleagues did not allow her to enter, otherwise they would „be taken out“.
The Minister of of Labor and Social Policy Denitsa Sacheva said this is a political act and behind the protest are the opponents of the bulgarian government.
Other nurses had gathered in front of the former Party House and wanted to know what was happening to the other four women. Only when the journalists were allowed to come into the National Assembly building Boyka Atanasova went inside the building.
She said that she is really pleased with her salary, which she receives at Pirogov hospital. The reason she did this protesting act is because she solidarity with her colleagues. The woman is firmly convinced that all nurses in Bulgaria should receive at least two minimum wages for their work. And she added:
“A man does not stand on the barricade only when hunger is pressing him, but also when he has solidarity with his colleagues.”
Earlier that day Denitsa Sacheva, Minister of Labor and Social Policy, announced that the political opponents of the government stay behind the protesting nurses.
“What is happening at the moment is more a political element than a trade union demand”, Sacheva said. She recalled that some of the representatives of the opponent parties also want some retirements from the helm of state.
Sacheva reminded that meetings with the nurses were held and some additional funds were allocated. She also said that every new conversation with them appear new requests.
According to the Minister, social policy topics are currently being used for heavy political manipulation and propaganda.
Translation: Diana Todorova
