site.btaUPDATED Justice Minister Zarkov Signs Agreement with Trade Unions in Detention and Incarceration System

Justice Minister Krum Zarkov signed an agreement with the trade unions from the system of the General Directorate for the Execution of Sentences (GDES) and the General Directorate for Security (GDS), the press centre of the Ministry of Justice said Monday. 

The agreement regulates the cooperation between the Minister and trade unions in carrying out social dialogue in the Ministry of Justice to guarantee and protect the service, socio-economic and professional rights and interests, and to improve the living standards of civil servants in the GDES and GDS who are members of trade unions. The agreement is for a term of three years and enters into force on February 7. 

The document was signed by the presidents of the Association of Trade Unions to the Ministry of Justice, the Trade Union of Employees in Prisons in Bulgaria, the Union Security Trade Union, the Trade Union of Penitentiary Employees, as well as of the newly established Trade Union of Employees in the Ministry of Justice and the Trade Union of Employees in GDES.

At a meeting at the Justice Ministry on Monday between Zarkov, the professional management of the GDES and the GDS, representatives of all the trade unions in the system, urgent actions were outlined for the protection of employees in incarceration and detention facilities, due to the increasing cases of aggression against them. A working group has been set up to discuss concrete and immediate measures to arrange for the protection of the officers and to identify legislative changes, if any are required, the Justice Ministry said.