The Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) and the Podkrepa Labour Confederation are to appeal against the government's three-year budget prognosis in the Supreme Administrative court. This reaction follows a statement of Finance Minister Simeon Djankov, according to which the country's pensions and wages may increase only after 2013. CITUB President Plamen Dimitrov said that under the Labour Code, all acts concerning labour, insurance and the living standard should first be agreed at the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation. "This is a violation of the Labour Code and that is why we will appeal against the decision of the Council of Ministers," Dimitrov added.
English: http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n248123 ; http://paper.standartnews.com/en/article.php?d=2011-04-27&article=36123
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The minimum monthly salary in the metallurgy sector has been increased from BGN 350 (? 179) to BGN 400 (? 205), according to a new collective agreement signed by the metallurgy unions of the major confederations, the Confederation of Independent Bulgarian Trade Unions KNSB and the Podkrepa Labor Confederation. The deal provides a 14.3% monthly salary increase together with a 12.5% increase in food allowances and 20% additional pay for night shifts. The new agreement also provides for investments in education and human capital.
English: http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=127084
The Bulgarian state rail company (BDZ)ÿstrike announced for 10 and 11 March has been called off after unions and managers from BDZ and the National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC) signed an agreement late on 10 March. It was agreed that no redundancies will be made among the current operative staff. Also, any staff trimming would be carried out only through collective agreement, implying union consent. Additionally, any redundancies in the administration would be subject to further negotiation. Shedding 30% of the 6,000 railway staff was one of the conditions of a loan by the IMF and the European Union to the Bulgarian government. Earlier, a number of meetings between union representatives, BDZ management and government officials did not lead to a solution (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 3 December 2010; Year 4 January and February2011).
English: http://www.sofiaecho.com/2011/03/11/1057656_bdz-train-strike ...
Employees of State Railway Company BDZ are likely to go on strike on 10 and 11 March, with the final date for the strike action yet to be decided. "It is not a matter if there will be a strike or not, but when," Petar Bunev, president of the KNSB railway union told a television station, "My personal opinion is that the strike must commence after the holidays, so that ordinary people are not affected." The union remains opposed against the conditions of a loan by the IMF and the European Union, stipulating that BDZ and the National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC) ultimately have to shed 30% of their staff or about 6,000 people, and asks that strategies should be developed for expansion of BDZ and NRIC instead. A number of meetings with government ministers did not lead to a solution (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 3 December 2010 and Year 4 January 2011).
English: http://www.sofiaecho.com/2011/02/21/1047649_bulgarian-state-rail ... http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n242766
The country's Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, has made a too hasty statement regarding the freeze of minimum wage and pensions, according to Social Policy Minister Totyu Mladenov. The two ministers clearly have different opinions on the subject. Mladenov reiterated that there is a possibility to increase the minimum incomes, saying "pensions can go up in the second half of the year." In contrast, Djankov is firm that minimum wages are to remain frozen in 2011 since the budget for 2011 has already been passed and it does not include extra funds for salaries and pensions. A few days earlier Lyuben Tomev, Director of the Research Institute with the KNSB union confederation, pointed at the "unreasonably high" increases of the cost of living in Bulgaria. He argued that there were no valid grounds for the price increase of 6.4% in December 2010.
English: http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=124683; http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=124473
The trade unions have requested a meeting with Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and Finance Minister Simeon Djankov to discuss the future of the State Railway Company BDZ and the National Railway Infrastructure Company. Petar Bunev, president of the KNSB railway union, stated that a high-level meeting would be necessary, also because of the absence of the Finance Ministry in recent meetings. Bunev pointed out that an expert working group is developing plans for railway development and reconstruction. He said that before 15 February, the deadline for the working group, his union would not take action (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 3 December 2010).
English: http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=124579
The two major railway unions, affiliated with the CITUB and CL Podkrepa confederations, have opposed vigorously the terms of a loan memorandum that the government signed with the World Bank, and declared determination for all-out strikes. Leaders of the two unions said to have had "long and hard talks" with representatives of the Transport Ministry, the Finance Ministry, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the memorandum. According to the union leadership the stipulation in the memorandum for a 30% reduction of the spending for personnel remained unacceptable, as they would cause massive layoffs with thousands of workers losing their jobs as well as create a direct threat to the safety of railway operations. "The railway workers will strike to the very end if the text of the memorandum is not amended," declared the president of the KNSB railway union, Petar Bunev.
English: http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=123214
Bulgarian orthodox priests have founded a trade union unit as part of the Podkrepa CL confederation. The news has been confirmed by the leadership of Podkrepa. The organization unites priests, sextons, administrative servants of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and candle manufacturers. The unrest among church servants started in the town of Vratsa, where priests in complained they did not receive their salaries on time and lacked health and retirement insurance. "Priests to have a trade union? This is absurd!", Vratsa metropolitan Kipriyan reacted, arguing "The canons forbid it."
English: http://paper.standartnews.com/en/article.php?d=2010-12-14&article=34959 via http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/show_news.pl?country=Bulgaria
On 1 November government, employers and trade unions finally reached an agreement on the reform of the country's pension system, ending a month of negotiations. The reform stipulates an increase, starting from 1 January 2010, by four months in the number of work experience years needed for full retirement benefits so that by 2020, men would need 40 years of work experience to retire and women would need 37 years. After January 2021, the retirement age would start increasing by six months to reach 63 years for women and 65 years for men. Trade unions, which were threatening strikes over any increase in the work experience requirement before 2015, said they were pleased with the agreement (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 3 October 2010).
English: http://www.sofiaecho.com/2010/11/02/985912_bulgarias ...; http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-11-01/bulgaria-unions-agree ...
Government, employers and trade unions are in the process of another attempt to finally reach an agreement on the steps to overhaul the country's pension system. Only the increase in social contributions payment by 1.8% percentage-points was agreed during the meeting of the so-called National Council for Tripartite Cooperation on Sunday 17 October. No consensus was reached on the number of years one has to work before drawing a full pension - whether this period starts to increase by four months as of 2013, as the government proposed, or as of 2015, as the trade unions demand. The decision was initially due on Wednesday 27 October, but was further delayed due to the additional information that employers demanded from Finance Minister Simeon Djankov. Earlier, on 7 October, over 10,000 protested in front of the Bulgarian Parliament in Sofia, opposing the government plan to raise the retirement age. The rally was organised by the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions.
English: http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=121265; http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=121541; http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hSLBagojBVf6_0acsjyYiuWYa7mA?docId=4765413