Teachers’ salaries are increasing by 15% under the Annex to the Collective Labour Agreement for the Pre-school and School Education System, signed on Thursday by the Minister of Education and Science Prof. Galin Tzokov and the social partners. The increase takes effect retroactively from 1 January 2023, the Education Ministry said in a press release.
“In this way, the government guarantees the national priority of maintaining the level of teachers’ salaries at 125% of the average salary in the country,” said Prof. Tzokov. According to him, the best solutions for the education system can be found only through good and constructive dialogue with the social partners. The Minister expressed satisfaction that both the salaries of employees in the education sector and the continuation of the renovation and modernization of schools and dormitories across the country were guaranteed with the State budget.
With the signed Annex, the minimum base monthly wage for teachers becomes BGN 1,709. It will be the same for all other pedagogical specialists – resource teachers, educators, speech therapists, psychologists, pedagogical advisors, etc.
The minimum base wage for senior teachers and senior educators will become BGN 1,763 and for head teachers and head educators – BGN 1,831. Principals will receive at least BGN 2,082 per month and deputy principals – BGN 1,926.
BGN 524 million from the State budget have been allocated for the salary increase of teachers.
The Annex to the Collective Labour Agreement was signed by Education Minister Tzokov, the head of the Bulgarian Union of Teachers with the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB), Yanka Takeva, the head of the Education trade union with the Podkrepa Confederation of Labour, Yulian Petrov, the head of the Independent Teachers’ Trade Union with CITUB, Asparuh Tomov, among others.