site.btaBulgaria to Lobby for Common European Framework for Regulating Work of Agricultural and Home Workers

Bulgaria to Lobby for Common European Framework for Regulating Work of  Agricultural and Home Workers

Sofia, January 21 (BTA) - Bulgaria will insist for adoption of a common European framework for regulation of the work of agricultural and home workers, Labour Minister Ivaylo Kalfin told a news conference at the Ministry. He said that these two categories of workers have no protection: both in terms of work conditions and pay.

Once a common European framework is set in place, each member country should implement its own national protection measures complying with the framework, Kalfin added.

He went on to outline the priorities in the social policy during the Dutch Presidency of the EU. Among them is labour mobility and the Bulgarian proposal here is not to focus solely on the labour mobility directive but look at good work conditions as well, said the Minister.

He was adamant that this country will make sure Bulgarian workers are guaranteed working conditions and pay that are the same as for all other workers in the country where they work.

"We will watch out for possible violations of Bulgarians' right for free movement on the labour market," said Kalfin.

Poverty and social isolation remains on the agenda and Bulgaria will continue to work on a mechanism for setting a minimum work wage in keeping wit the EC recommendation for more transparency in the criteria for establishing a minimum wage, said the Minister.

He said that a working group has been established to work on this issue but no agreement has been reached as yet among the social partners.