Employers and employees – on both sides of the ‘minimum wages’ barricade

The minimum wage is a legally established measure of the lowest amount that workers have to demand in exchange for their labor. It performs both an economic and a social function that makes it the subject of many discussions. The article examines different points of view and offers some arguments that justify the necessity to have a mandatory minimum wage. Most of the cases mentioned concern Bulgaria as it is the poorest country in the European Union with the lowest wages and with great power of employers' organizations. There are many studies, which, however, do not give a definite answer about the end impact of the minimum wages and their increase. The ultimate conclusion to be drawn from the study is that, despite some negative consequences from the legislative establishment of the minimum wage, there are also factors that make it a necessity.