Security Services Employees Protest Over Pension Age

Police officers, fire fighters, rescuers, prison guards and military personnel protested in downtown Sofia against the planned pension age increase, reports the Nova TV national channel.

The several hundred protestors wore red clown noses and demanded the resignation of the caretaker Labour and Social Policies Minister Yordan Hristoskov.

The protestors also demanded that any changes to the pension requirements for the employees in the state security sector be terminated immediately and their representatives to be invited at any further talks.

Under current law employees in the state security sector can retire after they worked 27 years, 18 of which in the sector. Some employees are able to retire as early as 45 years of age. Most of them continue working in other sectors years after their early retirement, getting both a significant pension and a salary.

For comparison, the retirement age for the majority of employees in Bulgaria is slowly increasing to reach 67 for men and 65 for women.

The retirement privileges for some employees are subject for criticism from the EU for years.