87% of Bulgarians OK with Working Conditions despite Irregularities

Close to 90% of Bulgarians say that they are satisfied with the conditions at work despite the pervasive irregularities they report. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency

Nearly 30% of all Bulgarians capable of work spend over 10 hours a day on the job, according to a nationwide survey of working conditions.

An equal percentage say that they do not leave their workplace during the weekend, while 1/3rd of the polled complain of health issues related to a poor working environment.

At the same time, as much as 87% of the respondents claim they are satisfied with the working conditions offered.

The survey was carried out as part of the "Prevention of Safety and Health at Work" project financed under the Human Resources Development Operational Program and "s the most comprehensive one ever conducted in the country" according to Labor Minister Totyu Mladenov.

Ivan Neykov, head of the Balkan Institute for Labor and Social Policy, has said that the scope and complexity of the study make it unique for both Bulgaria and Europe, adding that the last EU poll of this kind was carried some 20 years ago.

The survey reveals that the majority of cases of unsatisfactory working conditions are reported at small and medium-sized enterprises.

20% of the polled say that work stays high-paced throughout the day, while close to 40% admit that they get interrupted with additional ad-hoc tasks.

Neykov emphasizes the scant opportunities of finding a flexible job in Bulgaria, specifying that over 90% of Bulgarians capable of work have one workplace, while the share of part-time workers is 5-7%.

"Why do you tell us that you are tired, stressed, ill, that you work on Saturdays and Sundays, and yet you are content?", Neykov asks.

The expert attributes the inexplicably high rate of satisfaction with working conditions to the fact that the survey was held in 2010 when people were tangibly afraid of losing their jobs over the crisis.

In Totyu Mladenov's words, a total of BGN 70 M in EU funds will go to improving work safety in large, small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Bulgarian Labor Minister expects that 350-plus companies will be able to take advantage of the resources, which should bring about a 25% reduction in workplace casualties.

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