site.btaCITUB Turns to President for Assistance in Renewal of Dialogue with Business

CITUB Turns to President for Assistance in Renewal of Dialogue with Business

Sofia, February 27 (BTA) - According to the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB), President Rumen Radev could help in the renewal of the dialogue between the employer organizations and the trade unions, CITUB President Plamen Dimitrov said emerging from a meeting with the head of State on Monday.

Earlier this month President Radev met with representatives of the Podkrepa Labour Confederation as well.

At many sectoral levels the dialogue proceeds smoothly, collective agreements are being signed and there is partnership, Dimitrov explained. He recalled that the stagnation in the employer-unionist relations was prompted by controversies regarding the minimum working wage and the minimum social security thresholds. However, he voiced confidence that President Radev and the new government would give an impetus to the tripartite dialogue. In this context, he suggested that the President's Secretary for social policy took part in the sessions of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation (NCTC).

At the meeting with the President, CITUB presented its views about the development of the economy and the energy sector, the income policy and the status of education. The trade union pointed to the need of bringing the incomes in compliance with the economy and the GDP growth.

Dimitrov also noted that the income policy and the salary growth should be guaranteed and the employees' rights should be well protected. The CITUB President also urged the politicians for higher awareness of the need of protection of the right of association and collective bargaining.

CITUB also insisted to keep the country's energy policy protected from any ideological influences and subdue it only to the national goals and priorities. Urgent and long-term measures should be mapped out in order to enable the steady development of the sector and assisting the persons, entitled to energy benefits. Dimitrov noted the importance of defending the national interests during the April voting by the European Parliament of the changes in European Commission's Best Available Techniques Reference Document for Large Combustion Plants, which provide for raising the green house emission requirements for Thermal Power Plants (TPPs), which, if adopted, would be onerous for the Bulgarian energy sector.

Earlier in the day, CITUB and representatives of the BSP for Bulgaria coalition discussed the growth of income and the development of the country economy and energy.