The payment for professional experience and labour service, more known as “seniority

grade” has become subject to fierce attacks from Bulgarian employers’ organisations. While it the only guarantee that salaries will be augmented annually, albeit just a little,

employers argue this system does not exist elsewhere in Europe. Although government does not support the employers’ organisations so far, under

mounting pressure from lobbying, certain state officials have started to give in. We find that the Bulgarian model has many analogies in other EU countries and beyond.

In fact, the majority of the analyzed country do have models of augmenting salaries

and/or adjusting base salaries according to professional experience. BulgariaŽs model of seniority grade therefore neither stands isolated nor is it outdated.