[stop-imf] Bulgaria - IMF Mission Leader: Axe Teachers, Schools to Increase Pays

[robert weissman]

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=56446
Sofia News Agency

IMF Mission Leader: Axe Teachers, Schools to Increase Pays

Politics: 12 December 2005, Monday.

International Monetary Fund Mission Leader for Bulgaria Hans
Flickenschild called for a decrease in the number of employed teachers
and schools in the country and for improved quality of education ahead
of increasing the salaries.

Flickenschild met with Bulgaria's Social Minister Emilia Maslarova on
Monday in Sofia. After meeting Maslarova explained that her ministry is
ready to negotiate with the teachers' syndicate.

Flickenshield, who is in Sofia on an unofficial visit, commented the
problematic situation of the teachers' strike in the country. If the
government gave in to the teachers' demands for higher pays, it would be
bombarded with similar claims from the other sectors as well, the IMF
Mission Leader said.

Flickenschild came to Bulgaria after the negotiations between the Fund
and Bulgaria's Cabinet ended fruitlessly during the IMF regular mission
to Bulgaria in October. Back then the IMF concluding report read that
Bulgaria has lagged behind in meeting deadlines to implement structure
reforms. The IMF mission wrapped up in a failure to negotiate with the
Bulgarian government some of the key economic parameters of the agreement.

Now the IMF officials and Bulgaria's finance experts will review the
economic indexes and will search ways of agreeing on the unsolved matters.