Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Miners block centre of Sofia 

Photo: BGNES

Thousands of miners and energy workers, members of the two main trade unions, the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) and the trade union "Podkrepa", gathered in the area between the buildings of the National Assembly and the Council of Ministers. 

The demonstrators demanded that Parliament vote to postpone the liberalisation of the household electricity market for at least another three years - from 2026 to 2029. 

"I work at the Thermal Power Plant 'Bobov Dol'. If they close the coal mines, they will close the TPPs. I don't know where we will go, we have no alternatives. The first 160 people have already been laid off at the Maritsa Iztok TPP. Of course we are worried about them and ourselves," one of the protesters told BNR. 

According to the demonstrators, the green transition is not a fair one, as the laid-off workers are being offered jobs that do not match their skills - as cooks and salespeople. They are also not being paid the promised 36 salaries as compensation.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

The town of Apriltsi hosts the Festival of Bacon and Mulled Rakia

Today and tomorrow, the town of Apriltsi, located in the Balkan Mountains, is hosting the traditional Festival of Bacon and Mulled Rakia, which brings together thousands of tradition enthusiasts, reported BNR correspondent Plamen Hristov. Visitors..

published on 2/15/25 10:00 AM

Temperatures will drop over the weekend with light rain and snow showers expected

On Saturday it will be mostly cloudy with occasional sunny spells in the Upper Thracian Lowlands. In eastern Bulgaria there will be light to moderate east-northeasterly winds. Minimum temperatures will be between minus 1° and 4°C, around minus 1° in..

published on 2/14/25 7:05 PM

The Commission on Protection of Competition conducts major survey in the food sector

The Commission on Protection of Competition has requested information from producers and retailers of fast-moving consumer goods to determine the pricing methods, delivery conditions and factors influencing price changes . The focus of the study is on..

published on 2/14/25 5:52 PM