Daskalova, Nadezhda

In April–May 2007, the Centre of Women’s Studies and Policies (Център за изследвания и политики за жените, CWSP [1]) and the National Social Security Institute (Националния осигурителен институт, NSSI [2]) conducted a study as part of a project on the ‘Gender dimension of the pension reform in Bulgaria’. The initiative was supported by the Subregional office for central and eastern Europe (SRO-Budapest [3]) of the International Labour Organization (ILO [4]). According to the study findings (364Kb PDF) [5], inequalities between women and men can be observed in all aspects of Bulgaria’s recent pension reform (BG0701039I [6], BG0502102F [7], BG0308101F [8]). [1] http://www.cwsp.bg/en/htmls/home.php [2] http://www.nssi.bg/en/index.html [3] http://www.ilo.org/public/english/region/eurpro/budapest/index.htm [4] http://www.ilo.org/ [5] http://www.cwsp.bg/upload/docs/Gender_dimension_of_pension_reform_in_Bulgaria.pdf [6] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/challenges-to-supplementary-pension-insurance-system [7] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/pension-reform-continues-0 [8] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/pension-reform-continues

On 19 October 2007, the Risk Analysis Foundation presented the main findings of its survey on motivation for working in machine-building companies, carried out within the framework of the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association [1] (Асоциацията на индустриалния капитал в България, BICA [2]) project under the EU-funded Phare Programme [3] ‘Development of an adult training centre network’. The questionnaire-based survey was conducted in 10 machine-building companies in seven cities and towns, including the capital Sofia, Bourgas, Varna, Gabrovo, Veliko Tarnovo, Shoumen and Yambol in April 2007. [1] http://www.bica-bg.org/english/index.php [2] http://www.bica-bg.org/index.php [3] http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/financial_assistance/phare/index_en.htm

Undeclared work [1] in Bulgaria has been under discussion for a long time (*BG0406202T*). However, the debate was accelerated during the last year, triggered by Bulgaria’s EU accession in January 2007. Employer organisations are concerned about the increase in unfair competition and risks for the competitiveness of businesses, while trade unions are concerned about the risks of social dumping [2], decreasing social protection for individuals and labour market prospects associated with informal work. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/undeclared-work [2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/social-dumping

Since Bulgaria’s accession to the EU on 1 January 2007, the government has made attempts to develop a more comprehensive migration policy. In mid 2007, a tripartite working group consisting of representatives of the social partners, several ministries and certain non-governmental organisations (NGOs) was established. Headed by the Minister of the Interior, Ivaylo Kalfin, the group was given the task of developing a framework for future migration policy. The draft guidelines (in Bulgarian, 1.1Mb MS Word doc) [1] proposed by the group have been widely discussed with the social partners and were published on the government’s website [2] for public discussion during the months of September and October 2007. The adopted guidelines outline the current migration situation and the main strategic policy. [1] http://www.government.bg/fce/001/0037/files/Generalframeworkmigrationpolicy.doc [2] http://www.government.bg/

Commissioned by the National Social Security Institute (Национален Осигурителен Институт, NSSI [1]), the national representative survey on Factors for introducing flexible retirement forms and encouraging the employment of older people (in Bulgarian, 186Kb PPT) [2] is the first of its kind to examine the factors influencing the decision of workers aged between 50 and 65 years in terms of retirement. The survey was carried out by the independent consultancy Sofia Consulting Group in 2006. [1] http://www.nssi.bg/en/index.html [2] http://www.nssi.bg/content/news/Presentation-ALL.ppt

In August 2007, the Minister of Labour and Social Policy, Emilia Maslarova, presented the report on activities for the last two years (in Bulgarian, 101Kb PowerPoint presentation) [1]. In the report, the minister outlined the main successes and challenges in the field of labour market and social policy in Bulgaria, and announced a policy shift planned for 2008, as detailed below. [1] http://www.mlsp.government.bg/bg/news/mlsp.ppt

This report reviews the main results of the first lifelong learning survey in Bulgaria based on the 2003 ad hoc module of Eurostat’s labour force survey. The findings indicate significantly lower participation levels than in the other EU Member States. Some 80% of the Bulgarian population aged 15 years and over did not participate in any form of learning activity in the 12 month period prior to the survey interview. Older workers in particular and employers need to be encouraged to pursue a strategy of lifelong learning.

In 2007, Bulgaria still has the lowest income levels among the EU Member States, with an average wage of €190 for the first quarter of the year. Escalating protests have mounted against the low level of financing of important social sectors allocated in the 2007 budget, restrictive regulations concerning wages in public sector enterprises and the introduction of taxation of workers’ social benefits. At the same time, employees are demanding pay increases and improvements in working conditions.

In mid June 2007, the National Statistical Institute [1] (Национален Статистически Институт, NSI [2]) presented preliminary results (in Bulgarian) [3] of its fourth Continuing Vocational Training [4] (CVT) survey, which was carried out in 2006. The survey is based on the methodology of the third Eurostat CVT Survey [5] and presents information about the CVT provided by companies for their employees in 2005. [1] http://www.nsi.bg/Index_e.htm [2] http://www.nsi.bg/Index_e.htm [3] http://www.nsi.bg/SocialActivities/Education.htm [4] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/vocational-training [5] http://forum.europa.eu.int/Public/irc/dsis/edtcs/library?l=/public/continuing_vocational

US multinational company Bunge Limited is currently the world’s largest oilseed processor and employs more than 25,000 workers in 32 countries. In 2002, Bunge [1] took over the vegetable oil refinery Kaliakra AD in the town of Dobrich in northeastern Bulgaria and also acquired the Kaliakra oil brand. In total, about 204 people work at the Kaliakra plant. [1] http://www.bunge.com/