Employers and unions are calling for a protest because of the high price of electricity in our country. They came out in a position from which it is clear that the national demonstration will take place on October 19 at 12:00 in front of the Council of Ministers.
We publish the position of employers and trade unions without editorial intervention:
„The economic situation caused by the ongoing pandemic creates enormous difficulties for a number of economic activities and entire industries. Many companies suffocate, and some stop working in the situation. To this factor was added the unbearable burden of the rapidly rising price of electricity traded on the so-called free market.
Consumers of electricity purchased on the free market cannot withstand the current level of its price. In the country with the most modest opportunities in the European Union, the most expensive electricity is often paid and the price is already prohibitive. Every non-domestic consumer in Bulgaria – not only industrial enterprises, but also hospitals, schools, nurseries and kindergartens, water companies, theaters, museums and other cultural institutions, state and municipal departments and enterprises and other consumers who buy electricity on the free market, are subject to price shock.
The inaction of the competent state authorities, which has been going on for many years, has led us to propose a solution to the issue – compensation of excess costs for each non-domestic business consumer of electricity, so that the price of electricity for industry at least approaches that of the regulated market.
We have warned that we need to focus on the next two quarters, which are the most risky for our economy. We also proposed a detailed mechanism for securing the financing and payment of the compensatory measures, namely from the OVER-profit of the electricity producers owned by the state through an dividend paid in advance. Over-profit, which is above the planned. It is paid for by all non-domestic consumers and is already available in the bank accounts of Kozloduy NPP, NEK and the energy companies.
So far, the responsible institutions have not taken adequate actions to manage the crisis situation. Nobody is saying that, one month in a row, European countries started to apply exactly the same measures as we have already proposed to the government. Nobody says that the situation in our country was worse even before the crisis for reasons for which all government officials are responsible.
Today, when the economy is on the brink, we can say that our patience is exhausted. The executive power observes 3 times the more expensive price of electricity than the EWRC forecast with indifference. The relevant Minister of Energy is not active.
The only response to such behavior may be our nationwide protest. Protest organized by all social partners – employers and unions.
All non-household electricity consumers who cannot and do not want to pay three times as much for electricity must go before the Council of Ministers and say out loud what we think about the government’s inaction before thousands of jobs and offices are lost. to be overwhelmed with work and the population to become unbearably impoverished.
Therefore, on October 19, 2021, let us go to a nationwide protest in Sofia in front of the Council of Ministers with demands:
– To stop the inaction of the executive branch regarding the price of electricity on the „free“ market!
– Immediate compensation to all consumers who receive electricity from the „free market“!
– Engaging competent experts in the responsible institutions to propose and implement additional measures to limit the damage to the Bulgarian economy from the jump in the prices of electricity and other energy sources.“
