BULGARIAN POLICE PROTEST, DEMAND REFORMS

UNCLAS SOFIA 000029

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCOR KCRCM BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIAN POLICE PROTEST, DEMAND REFORMS


1. (SBU) Summary: For the third time in a little over a month,
Bulgarian police officers protested on January 17 over low wages and
poor work conditions. Despite conflicts between police and student
protesters earlier in the week, students on January 17 supported the
police protest and joined calls for the resignation of Interior
Minister Mikov. After constructive negotiations with the Interior
Ministry leadership, representatives of police throughout the
country gave the Interior Minister a month to show demonstrable
action towards addressing their concerns. The protests highlight
morale issues that could propel - or undermine -- the ministry's
reform efforts. End Summary.


2. (SBU) Uncertainty within the Interior Ministry as it undergoes
reform and pay disparity with the State Agency for National Security
Agency (DANS) employees, who receive almost 2-3 times the pay of MOI
employees, has had a devastating impact on police morale. Legally
restricted from striking, police officers silently gathered on
January 17 to place their hands in their pockets as a symbolic sign
of protest, after prior symbolic protests on December 13 and on
December 20. Six police representatives (three from Sofia and one
each from three provincial towns) negotiated with the MOI leadership
on behalf of police nationwide. Police protest representatives gave
the MOI leadership their demands including: a 50 percent raise
starting from January 1, unlimited overtime pay, a 200 percent
increase for food and clothing allowances, as well as changes in the
MOI law to allow more employees to join unions and to punish
criminals who attack police officers.


3. (SBU) Both sides expressed the desire to continue dialog.
Minister Mikov commented that non-monetary demands could be
addressed, while those regarding pay increases and overtime would be
virtually impossible. In the coming weeks, the police protestors
will look for the Interior Minister to present their demands for
increased pay to the Council of Ministers and the Parliament.
Police protest representative Georgi Iliev told the media that the
police were pushing for resolution of the salary issue by March 1
and sought action on larger issues facing the ministry within four
months. The timeline for the establishment of a new union to
represent MOI employees, a major rank-and-file priority, remains
unclear. For now, MOI employees are represented by three unions,
for police, firemen, and civilian employees. On January 20, the MOI
proposed a 5 percent salary increase, effective January 1, but the
police remain unsatisfied.


4. (SBU) Since the passage of modest MOI reform legislation and
initial MOI reorganization in July 2008, discontent in the ministry
has grown as the reform effort has stalled. Sparked by rumors that
police officers would not receive Christmas bonuses, the first
protests began on December 13 in Sofia and at least ten cities
nationwide. Prime Minister Stanishev and Interior Minister Mikov
charged opposition political party GERB and its unofficial leader,
Sofia mayor Boiko Borisov, of politicizing the issues facing the
ministry. Borisov, who was MOI Chief Secretary from 2001-2005,
rejected these allegations and said the police deserved to be paid
the same as DANS employees. On December 18, the MOI announced that
the police would receive bonuses of 350-400 leva, at a total expense
of 20 million leva. Even after the announcement, discontent and
growing dissatisfaction with MOI leadership continued to brew on
police blogs.


5. (SBU) Comment: With a reported 63,000 employees (and 53,000
officially on the books, of which around 40,000 are uniform police,
operatives and investigators),MOI has one police officer for every
300 citizens. This manpower is not effectively allocated given the
scale of the Bulgarians' crime and corruption problems. With police
ranking barely ahead of prosecutors and judges in public confidence
in integrity, trust in the MOI is low. But, with national elections
on the horizon, there is no political appetite to trim the MOI's
bloated, ineffective workforce.

MCELDOWNEY

6



2