Employers' Associations, Trade Unions to Renew Protests over New Power Prices in September

The four major employers' associations in Bulgaria and the two trade unions have issued a list of demands triggered by the new power price hike, warning to renew and intensify protests in September unless the requirements are fulfilled.

Representatives of the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA), the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (CEIBG), the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA), the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), and the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) and the Podkrepa Labor Confederation met Sunday to discuss steps to oppose what they consider an unfair increase in electricity prices for industrial consumers as of August 1.

The organizations demanded a temporary moratorium on the connection to the power grid of new power plants selling their output at preferential tariffs.

They also called for changes to the Energy Act and for the development of a road map envisaging short-term and long-term reform measures related to the "obligation to society" component of electricity prices.

The power price hike for industrial energy consumers as of August 1 was largely caused by an increase in the "obligation to society" fee for businesses to BGN 38/MWh from a previous rate of BGN 19.93/MWh.

As a result of the measure, households and industrial energy consumers pay an equal "obligation to society" fee, at BGN 38/MWh, as of August 1, 2015.

The previous rate of the "obligation to society" component of household prices of electricity stood at BGN 53/MWh.

Speaking after Sunday's meeting, CITUB President Plamen Dimitrov underscored that no authority had yet ruled on the legality of the new rate of that specific power tariff component.

BICA...