Today, the trade union representatives of the Federation of Independent Agricultural Trade Unions, in particular the employees of the Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture, announced a silent protest throughout the country. Their demonstration is part of a series of protest actions, which were announced earlier today by the chairperson of the Federation of the Central Committee of the National Security Council, Valentina Vasilenova.
It is planned that from 08:30 tomorrow in front of the official entrance of the National Assembly, chambers will be stretched by all trade union representatives of the state, which come under the umbrella of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, namely – Executive Agency „Fighting Hail“, Bulgarian Agency for Food Safety, Forestry Executive Agency, Fisheries and Aquaculture Executive Agency, Agricultural Academy.
The trade union organization of the CNSB in the Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture commented that their dissatisfaction was caused by Budget 2023. Until 2016, there was additional material happiness for the employees of the Agency, which was discontinued. The current protests want to be reinstated. They also insist on vouchers to be for food when they are on duty, to be provided with water and food, as well as to be paid for night work. The unions note that more inspectors should be appointed, as this staff is extremely insufficient.
In 2022, the salaries of the staff at the Fisheries and Aquaculture Executive Agency were raised, but due to inflation, the increase was not felt and now they want a 20% increase. At the moment, the Agency had employees hired for 850 BGN net salary, which, according to the unions, is extremely low remuneration for the work they do. Among the requests are that the employees work under conditions of the first category of work, because they have control functions, work night shifts and face aggressive offenders.
For a long time, work clothes for the workers in the Agency have not been purchased, pointing to the unions, specifying:
“The position, which is carried out with specific job-control functions, also has specific requirements for carrying out this type of activity – both for work clothes and for navigational means and protective consumables to them. The ones provided are depreciated very quickly /within about a year/ as a result of the aggressive environment in which the inspectors work.”
After the protest tomorrow, it will become clear what the next actions of the protesters will be.
