site.btaOver 3,000 Work Permits Issued to Underage Bulgarians in January-May - Labour Inspectorate Data

The General Labour Inspectorate reports an increase in the work permits issued to underage Bulgarians: 3,404 in January-May 2024, compared to 2,545 in the like period of 2023. Of these, 3,304 were issued to citizens aged 16 to 18. The highest number of these permits were issued in the regions of Burgas, Varna, Plovdiv, Sofia (capital and region), and Blagoevgrad, the executive agency reported Wednesday on the occasion on World Day Against Child Labour, June 12.

Most often, underage workers are hired in hotels, restaurants and trade during the long summer vacation.

Underage Bulgarians can be employed only with a preliminary permit from the Labour Inspectorate, otherwise hiring them is a crime subject to reporting to the prosecution service and opening criminal proceedings. Even with a permit, underage Bulgarians cannot work heavy physical jobs or jobs related to the use of chemical and biological agents endangering their physical and mental development. They can work 35 hours per week, five days a week, for which they must be paid at least a minimum wage. They are not allowed to work night shifts, which for those aged under 16 include the hours from 8 pm to 6 am. Before starting work, the youths should receive a copy of their labour contract, signed by both parties, a copy of the document for that contract's registration at the National Revenue Agency, and a list of their obligations on the job, the Labour Inspectorate recalls.

World Day Against Child Labour has been marked annually since 2002 at a decision of the International Labour Organization (ILO) to support the world community's actions to ban child labour. According to a report published by ILO and UNICEF in May 2022, there are over 160 million children in the world aged between 5 and 17 who are subjected to labour, half of them doing dangerous jobs. This year's edition of World Day Against Child Labour is mottoed, "Let’s act on our commitments: End Child Labour!" and will focus on celebrating the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the 1999 Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention.