Transcript the collective bargaining in Agriculture – the Bulgarian

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IN AGRICULTURE
The Bulgarian
reality
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The Bulgarian agriculture
 Traditional sector;
 Last 20 years - from a slow decline to a total
collapse;
 Then slightly increase and stability of the
sector;
 Massif restructuring;
 Dramatic decrease of agricultural
workforce;
 after 2007 – a slow progress in Agriculture;
 Agriculture as a priority sector;
 2010 – funds absorption 30%.
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EMPLOYMENT IN AGRICULTURE BG - STATISTIC
in comparison
to 2003 – 1,3
mln workers
tobacco
producers
40 000
Employees and
workers
230 000
registred
farmers
90 000
employed under
permanent
contract
65 000
EMPLOYMENT IN AGRICULTURE - OBSTACLES
The aging of the workforce:
 under 35 years - about 7 %;
 older than 55 years - 59%.
 Law educational level;
 limited access to the social security system;
 The fragmentation of the ownership of the land:
 95% - small farms - average size ≤ 2 ha;
 3.3% - large farms over 100 ha.
 The long-lasting unemployment - 35 %÷ 65%;
 Reasons – low wages, heavy working conditions, bad
infrastructure and social conditions, weak investments
interest.
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
PRECARIOUS WORK IN AGRICULTURE
 Seasonal workers – non unemployment benefits;
 Undeclared work – 20%;
 Low wages – ! 263 Euro / month;
 insufficient working conditions;
 Non vocational training for the workers;
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SEASONAL WORK IN AGRICULTURE  TO
MIGRANT WORK;

Two aspects of mobility of BG workers in agriculture in
EU:
 Out – of – country - The emigration has slightly
decreased in the last few years but still
predominates
 Spain – 147 890 p.
 Greece – 50 – 70 000 p.
 Germany – 65 000 p.
 UK and Ireland – 20 000 p
 Intra – migration;
 Promotion measures of mobility under National
Employment program (still week effect on mobility).
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MIGRATION ≤ PRECARIOUS WORK

Working and living conditions:
 Labour contracts
 Salary – depends on the status but normally lower
 37% do not report for any social benefits – no paid leave
 Overtime work – 9 hours/d and 45 hors/week,
 Little or no health and safety at work place;
 family separation;
 Social benefits and pension rights – vulnerable;
 TU – membership - no interest!, fear, violation;

Qualification and requalification – it is not for the BG
workers abroad
FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT TRADE
UNIONS IN AGRICULTURE - FITUA
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The biggest national represented trade union organization in the
sector;
Expert participation in all bipartite and three-partite structures of the
social dialogue at national level;
European sectoral social dialogue – EFFAT (2005)
6 000 members in 128 TUO - in the following branches:
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National irrigation systems in Agriculture
Bulgarian agency for food safety;
Scientific and Research Institutes, united in Agricultural
Academy which comprises production bases
Agencies and regional offices in the frame of Ministry of
Agriculture and Food
Agricultural cooperatives
FITUA COLLECTIVE BARGAINING - COMPLEXITY
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Restructuring of the sector ;
The economic and financial crisis;
Lack of legal rights to collective bargaining for state
employees;
The diversity of the brunches;
Trade union members - in the real sector and the
public/state sector.
Freezing of wages;
Irregular payment of funds;
low absorption of EU funds from the PRD.
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ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE COLLECTIVE
BARGAINING IN 2010
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Freezing the wages, not decreasing them;
 National agreement for tele work;
 National agreement for domestic work;
 4 sectoral collective agreements extended;
 Agreement for minimum social security thresholds–
5.6% increase;
 6 Branch collective agreements signed;
 specific agreements for the state employees.
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WHAT DID WE BARGAIN?
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social programs;
2 - 8 days plus for the annual leave;
6 -10 days plus for the workers, providing extra work;
Higher compensations for dismissal and retiring ;
Additional payments for qualification degree ;
additional payments for acquired working and professional
experience – basic salary x 1,3;
For night shifts - 2 to 4 times higher;
Food vouchers and additional social payments for childbirth,
holidays etc.
Fund "Social and trade union activities“ not less than 10% of
accrued wages.
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THE CHALLENGES IN FRONT OF FITUA
Enlarging the
scope of
collective
bargaining in
more branches
of the sector
Enrichment of
the content of
collective
bargaining
Initiate
legislative
reforms:
regulating the right of
state employees for
collective bargaining;
Précising the criteria
for representation
Conclusion
of a sectoral
collective
agreement
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Vanya Trendafcheva
e-mail: [email protected]
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