Union launches campaign to protect workers’ rights

In early May 2011, the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria (CITUB) launched a national campaign to protect workers’ rights. The campaign aims to change legislation to guarantee labour and trade union rights and will include a petition, education and consultation with workers and young people, and meetings with employers and workers across the country. CITUB also intends to raise awareness of the work done by trade unions, and the right to join unions.

Background

The Coordinating Council of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria (CITUB) decided at its meeting on 12 April 2011 to launch a campaign to protect workers’ rights in the framework of its project ‘Security through the law, flexibility through collective bargaining’.

The campaign started on Europe Day, 9 May 2011, in the presence of Tsetska Tsatcheva, Chair of the National Assembly, Minister of Labour and Social Policy Totio Mladenov, Justice Minister Margarita Popova and the presidents of the CITUB federations.

Trade unions presented to the Chair of the Parliament proposals for urgent legislative changes to ensure more stable guarantees of workers’ rights.

The campaign received the support of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).

Aims of the campaign

The campaign had three aims:

• to provoke legislative changes to guarantee labour and trade union rights;
• to inform workers and employees, and particularly young people, of their rights;
• to encourage workers to become trade union members, and to inform society about the role and initiatives of trade unions for protecting workers’ rights.

Legal initiatives

CITUB is proposing changes in legislation to protect four key rights for workers, namely:

• the right of association – to include an additional article in the Penal Code that would give a legal safeguard to the right to associate in trade unions;
• the right of collective bargaining – to devise new legislation that would enforce the right to collective bargaining for all workers, including civil servants;
• the right to be paid – to ensure the right to the regular payment of wages through new amendments to the Civil Procedure Code, through which every employee is entitled to receive due wages or benefits without having to take legal proceedings against employers who withhold pay;
• the right to strike – to protect and guarantee the right to strike through a new strike law. The Law for Settlement of Collective Disputes, in force from 1990, provides rules for the settlement of collective labour disputes that are inconsistent with the Constitution (1991), which gives workers the right to strike, including civil servants, to protect their economic and social interests.

Planned events

CITUB’s campaign includes the following events:

• a petition entitled ‘A right for one is a right for all’ signed by citizens, workers and young people, to protect their rights;
• specially built tent camps where CITUB will organise educational videos about the violation of workers' rights and what benefits can be had from joining trade union organisations;
• at the tent camps, trade union lawyers will also offer consultations to workers. Visitors will receive advertising materials and leaflets on ‘Your rights at work’, ‘Your social rights’ and ‘Your trade union rights’;
• meetings with all groups from parliament – the first was with the ruling party, Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (CEDP) – to seek support for legislative changes;
• targeting students between 16 and 18 years old, since many young people entering the labour market have little information about employment issues. From September, teachers will lead discussions on labour, social and trade union rights;
• visits and meetings with regional and municipal authorities, employers, trade unionists and workers in enterprises;
• providing legal advice to citizens. CITUB has opened a hotline to receive calls regarding claims about rights that have been violated.

First results

CITUB submitted a draft law to parliament, amending and supplementing the Civil Procedure Code so that every employee will be have an automatic right to receive their due wages or benefits without having to seek legal redress. This proposal received support from the Chair of the Parliament, and from the Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs and Justice.

The first city visited by the CITUB leadership was Montana, where they met the regional governor and discussed how social activities and projects could be introduced to develop business in the region and create new jobs. In just one hour the trade unionists gathered 250 signatures in support of their legislative demands.

At Gala-M, a poultry processing and trade business, owner Ivan Avramov and CITUB President Plamen Dimitrov discussed the possibilities for mutual cooperation, establishing a trade union organisation and social dialogue in the company in order to sign a collective agreement. They also discussed implementing European social practices in terms of pay and working conditions.

The campaign will continue in other regions until the end of 2011. Together with its Youth Forum ‘21st Century’, CITUB will hold meetings with young people during the summer and will make available advertising materials such as brochures, posters and stickers presenting employment, social and trade union rights at venues such as concerts, rock festivals and other events attracting young audiences.

Tatiana Mihaylova, ISTUR