The Case of Bulgaria · Confectionery Manufacturers Association "Bread for Bulgaria" BALKAN INSTITUTE FOR LABOUR AND SOCIAL POLICY HEALTH AND SAFETY WORKING CONDITIONS IN THE ECONOMIC

BA LK AN IN STITU TEFO R LA BO UR AN D

SOC IAL POLIC Y

HEALTH AND SAFETY WORKING CONDITIONS IN THE ECONOMIC CRISIS

funded by budget line Industrial Relations and Social Dialogue, managed by DG “Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of theEuropean Commission

Health and safety working conditions in the economic crisis

The Case of Bulgaria


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Content1. Bulgarian economy in crisis2. Health & Safety in times of crisis3. Labour inspections - improvement

notices, stopped machines, suspendedworkers, penalty notices, compensationspaid

4. Conclusions5. Case studies


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Bulgarian economy in crisisIndustry Decrease 2009/2010

Metallurgy - 30%Construction - 20%Cardboard and paper - 21%Rubber and plastics - 8%Food + 8,5%Beverages - 20%Transport, shipping,telecommunications

+ 19,4%


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Economic crisis - consequences- increased work intensity and pressure

increased incidence of accidents at work- growing insecurity at the workplace

deteriorating mental conditionand health

- market difficulties:employers reduced investment inpreventive measures,employees more reluctant to makerequests related to OSH


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Health & Safety in times of crisisInternational Social Security Association survey

indicates that in Bulgaria:• 15% of workers believe that the crisis has a significant

effect on the safety and health at work (21% across theEU)

• 45% feel that the crisis has some effect on the safety andhealth at work (40% across the EU)

• 16% are of the opinion that the crisis has no or barely anyeffect on the safety and health at work (34% in the EU)

• 24% of workers have never thought about or beeninterested in "How is the crisis affecting the safety andhealth at work in your country?”


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Health & Safety in times of crisisEmployees:

- Work safety is not among the major values- Demands with regard to working conditions

have been considerably lowered for fear ofnegative consequence

- Unrealistic about the effects of their work ontheir own health. They do not see doctorsand are not aware of the actual state of theirhealth.


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Health & Safety in times of crisisEmployers:"Anti-crisis proposals of industry chamberslack as much as a single comma to dowith working conditions. In this situation, itis highly unlikely that anyone will beinvesting in anything that has noimmediate effect"Kiril Zhelyazkov, Executive Director of the BulgarianIndustrial Association.


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Health & Safety in times of crisisEmployers:"Right now there is money for nothing.Today enterprises are happy if they areable to pay off their debts“

Georgi Popov, Chairman of the Bulgarian Bread andConfectionery Manufacturers Association "Bread forBulgaria"


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Health & Safety in times of crisisEmployers:"Companies can barely scrape up enough

from sales revenue to buy materials, letalone new equipment or aspirationsystems. The priority right now is to locatemarkets, not to improve workingconditions"

Mariana Kostova, Bulgarian Chamber of WoodProcessing and Furniture Making Industries.


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Health & Safety in times of crisisGeneral Labour Inspectorate:

"At a time of crisis, the priorities of some of theactors in the process change, too. In the nameof ensuring their survival on the market, someemployers are willing to overlook theircommitments to ensuring safety and health atwork, while some employees, too, are happy tocompromise in this respect.”

Rumyana Mihaylova, Executive Director of GLI


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Labour inspections - improvement notices


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Labour inspections – stopped machines


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Labour inspections – suspended workers


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Labour inspections – penalty notices


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Labour inspections – compensations paid


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Conclusion 1As a result of the economic crisis and itsimmediate consequences:

(i) shrinking of manufacturing and (ii) significantreduction of the financial resources,

some negative trends have emerged:(i) decrease in the number of operationalenterprises and layoffs of workers andemployees; (ii) delayed pay in a growing numberof enterprises; (iii) unlawful extension of workinghours and overtime work.


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Conclusion 2According to labour inspection reports submittedover the past two years with the crisis in full swing:

1) violations of the health and safetyrequirements have decreased by more than10%, while

2) violations of labour relationships withinenterprises have increased.


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Conclusion 3Workers and their representatives have focusedprimarily on preserving jobs.

The improvement of safety and health at work hasbeen relegated to the background of trade unionand employer negotiations.

None of the government's anti-crisis measures hasaddressed safety and health at work.


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Conclusion 4The negative consequences for safety and healthat work manifest with some time lag whereby atthe height of the economic crisis we see thepositive effects from investments in technologicalmodernisation of the pre-crisis period.This is why the expected negative consequenceswill most probably come to forward within 2 to 3years following the crisis, with the adverse effectmanifesting as a delay in the rate at which workingconditions improve, rather than in absolute terms.•


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Case study 1 – Denito Ltd.


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Case study 2 – JLP Ltd.


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Case study 3 – Marina Holiday Club hotel


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Case study 4 – Tih Trud Ltd.


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Thank you for your attention!

Documents

The Case of Bulgaria · Confectionery Manufacturers Association "Bread for Bulgaria" BALKAN INSTITUTE FOR LABOUR AND SOCIAL POLICY HEALTH AND SAFETY WORKING CONDITIONS IN THE ECONOMIC