Fire-fighters Protest against Working Conditions

Sofia, February 7 (BTA) - More than 350 fire-fighters and rescue
 workers members of the fire-fighters' trade union in the
Confederation of the Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria
(CITUB) staged a protest rally on Saturday in front of the
Interior Ministry, CITUB said in a press release. The protestors
 said they could no longer work in conditions where work health
and safety, and safety and protection of the population during
fires, disasters and emergency situations are not guaranteed.

Head of the fire-fighters' trade union in CITUB Lyubimr Elenkov
said that the fire-fighters have not been given uniforms since
long ago and that the regulatory basis for their work was
changed constantly. Elenkov urged for a bill on fire-fighting to
 regulate the activity.

CITUB Vice President Valentin Nikiforov said that "the 1,000
vacancies in the Fire Safety and Protection of the Population
Directorate General are not filled on purpose, so as to create
the illusory idea that the system could work with reduced
staff".

Later in the day, a delegation of the protestors and Nikiforov
met with Interior Minister Vesselin Vouchkov. It emerged that
the meeting failed to reach a compromise, so that CITUB said it
is ready for even harder action to protect the people working in
 the system.