Bulgaria to Introduce New Part-Time Work Rules by 2012

Bulgarian Social Policy and Labor Minister, Totyu Mladenov, took part in a round table dedicated to the EU directive on part-time work. Photo by BGNES

New rules for the work of employment agencies, dealing with part-time jobs, are going to be in place by 2012, Bulgarian Social Policy and Labor Minister, Totyu Mladenov announced.

Mladenov took part Thursday in a round table dedicated to the EU directive on the subject, along with experts from his institution, representatives of the trade unions, the business and sociologists.

According to the Minister, the new rules will give the companies more opportunities in finding part-time employees, and will provide a chance to those who are unable to hold full-time jobs, making the labor market more flexible, increasing job openings, and reducing unemployment.

Mladenov gave the business and the trade unions an end-of-April deadline to reach an agreement on part-time work, otherwise the Ministry would introduce its own Bill, providing the agencies would sign a contract with the job applicants, and loan them to suitable employers. The Bill also mandates the business to secure the same labor rights and conditions as the ones for full-time workers. The salaries and the benefits will be transferred to the employment agencies, which are then to pay them.

The agencies, to be controlled by the Labor Inspectorate, will be banned from asking fees from applicants while the latter have the right to refuse a job offer if it is not in line with their qualifications or health condition.

The trade unions fear some companies will lay off workers in order to hire part-timers and save on benefits, and demand guarantees of labor rights. The employment agencies representatives said they would support new regulations in their business.

One of the most debatable, open issues is who is going to deal with the part-timers after the companies no longer need them – the trade unions, citing the EU directive, want the employment agencies to continue pay them the minimum wage while the agencies insist the workers must reregister with the Labor Bureaus.

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