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Bulgaria

Background information on industrial relations in Bulgaria

• 24 Apr 2012
  Bulgaria: Questionnaire for EIRO Overview Report: Employment and Industrial Relations in the Hotels and Restaurants in BULGARIA

  The trend of steady development of tourism in the recent years in the country was interrupted by the global economic crisis. The new challenges of the economy resulting from the crisis in that industry determine the new labour relations in the industry. For the first time in 2007 the nationally representative trade union organsiations CITUB and CL Podkrepa and nationally representative employers' organization the Bulgarian Tourist Chamber (BTC) signed a collective agreement.Employers and trade unions opposed to the economic and financial crisis with reached agreements in the affected firms and companies in order to preserve jobs and minimize reduction of the staff in the sector. There are clauses in the agreements to award ofwork in the same or another company according to the legislation, reduction of the working time for certain, schedules for the period of unpaid leave and other measures aimed at staff to maintain the employment.

• 05 Apr 2012
  Bulgaria: Bulgaria: The representativeness of trade unions and employer associations in the insurance sector

  The Bulgarian insurance market is small but has a huge potential for development. The country’s insurance firms reported a gross premium income for the first six months of 2010 of €352.77m. This is about 5.1% lower than the premiums for the same period in 2009. Revenue in the insurance sector began to decline in the middle of last year. At the same time, there was an increase of more than 6.2% in the amount paid out in claims, reaching €195.38m for the six-month period. The insurance industry has grown rapidly with the help of foreign firms since a market reform in 1997. The expansion has been boosted by the introduction of health and pension insurance plans.

• 27 Mar 2012
  Bulgaria: Bulgaria: The representativeness of trade unions and employer associations in the paper sector

  In the Bulgarian paper sector there are two representative trade union federations and one employer association. Collective bargaining in the sector has been carried out since 1992 without a break and a collective agreement extends to cover all companies in the sector with effect from 2010.

• 12 Mar 2012
  Bulgaria: Strike at coal mines ends in victory for workers

  An eight-day strike by nearly 7,000 Bulgarian miners ended on 23 January 2012. The strike forced the country to halt electricity exports in order to guarantee enough power for domestic needs. Workers at the state-owned Maritza East Mines, a complex of three mines which produces 90% of the country’s coal, walked out when management failed to pay agreed bonuses, improve health and safety, or reduce staff shortages. However, agreement was reached after 16 hours of negotiations.

• 10 Feb 2012
  Bulgaria: Thousands take part in national protest against pension reform

  Thousands of trade union members gathered to protest outside Bulgaria’s parliament building on 30 November 2011 when MPs were to vote on increasing the age of retirement without consulting the social partners. A protest declaration was handed to parliament, and MPs from the ruling party agreed to withdraw the proposal and continue negotiations with trade unions.

• 10 Feb 2012
  Bulgaria: New collective agreement ends railways’ longest strike

  A strike by Bulgarian State Railway workers officially ended on 20 December 2011 when a new collective agreement was signed following eight-hours of negotiations. Employees went on strike on November 24 over government plans for restructuring and job cuts. The cost-cutting measures were in breach of a Memorandum of Understanding, signed after a one-day warning strike early in 2011. The resulting 20-day strike was the longest in the history of Bulgaria’s State Railway.

• 09 Jan 2012
  Bulgaria: Trade unions oppose public administration pay reform

  Bulgarian Finance Minister Simeon Diankov presented proposals for public administration reform at the meeting of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation held in November. The focus is on a new pay system, which replaces the traditional civil service system of automatic salary increases based on length of service with financial rewards for good performance. Employers' associations supported the proposal but trade unions have criticised some reform proposals.