site.btaBulgaria Unwilling to Support Secondment Directive Changes

Bulgaria Unwilling to Support Secondment Directive Changes

Amsterdam/Sofia, April 20 (BTA) - At this stage Bulgaria is not supportive of changes to the 2014 EU directive on the secondment of workers, Bulgarian Labour and Social Affairs Minister Ivaylo Kalfin said at a meeting with his Polish counterpart Elzbieta Rafalska, as quoted by his Ministry. The two ministers met on the sidelines of a EU labour ministerial.

The European Commission calls for reconsidering the directive to ensure equal pay for workers at the same place.

Kalfin said that even though the idea sounds very well, it remains unclear how exactly it will be implemented. "We would support changes meant to protect the interests of workers and employers. But we cannot accept legislation which would stand in the way of the free movement and work in the EU and would put at a disadvantage Bulgarian workers and companies," the Bulgarian Labour Minister reportedly said.

He also argued that it does not makes sense changing something that has just been introduced and its real impact has not yet been seen.

In his words, what would make sense for Bulgaria is to consider the whole Mobility Pact in a wider context and add to it elements such as regulation of the rights of care givers and domestic workers. "If the European Commission really wants a discussion about fair working conditions, it should make sure the legislation covers these vulnerable groups on the labour market,' said Kalfin.

Also, Bulgaria insists for a conclusive and adequate solution to the problem with the pay for truck drivers.

It transpired at the meeting that Bulgaria hails the decision of the European Commission to build a database to track worker migration within the EU, including seasonal workers.

The country is equally supportive of the idea for introducing a EU-wide social insurance card with information about the social insurance paid for and by the workers for each worker in the EU, Kalfin said.