site.bta55,000-Plus Labour Law Violations Established in Q1 of 2024

A total of 55,322 labour law violations were established in the first quarter of 2024, after nearly 11,970 inspections were carried out in 11,300 enterprises with 579,280 employees, the General Labour Inspectorate Executive Agency (GLI EA) reported. Violations of occupational health and safety regulations totalled 28,772, while another 26,249 violations on the implementation of labour relations were also established.

The prevention of undeclared work with a focus on work without a contract was the focus of the inspections. There were 735 cases of work without a registered employment contract with the National Revenue Agency. Since the beginning of 2024, labour inspectors have used their power to stop sites, machinery and equipment on 118 occasions after finding violations that directly endangered the life and health of workers.

In the first quarter of 2024, 465 administrative offences were issued. The amount of the enacted penalty decrees was over BGN 4.4 million. The established delayed wages of employees amounted to over BGN 2.8 million. Thanks to the labour inspectors, over BGN 1.7 million in wage arrears were paid in the first three months of 2024, including amounts for previous periods, the GLI EA said.

The number of occupational accidents in the country is on the rise. Last year, 440 incidents were recorded in the GLI EA's records, 65 of which were fatal, GLI EA's Executive Director Ekaterina Assenova said in Burgas, on the Black Sea, on March 28.