Zornitsa Rusinova, Chair of the Economic and Social Council, and Council members from the Employers’ Group and the Trade Unions’ Group participated in the opening of the international conference “Mobilizing Trade Unions to Protect Jobs and Labor Rights: Say NO to Austerity Policies and YES to Solidarity.” The forum was organized by the “Podkrepa” Trade Union Confederation in cooperation with the European Workers’ Centre (EZA).
The opening panel featured Veselin Mitov, confederal secretary of the “Podkrepa” Trade Union Confederation and vice president of the European Trade Union Centre – a member of the ESC from the Trade Unions Group; and Maria Mincheva, Vice President of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who serves as Vice President of the ESC from the Employers’ Group.
The conference is dedicated to the role of trade unions amid the economic and social transformations in Europe. The discussion will focus on the protection of labor rights, the future of work in the context of the green and digital transitions, the development of collective bargaining, and the strengthening of social dialogue.
These issues are among the top priorities in the work of the ESC, which has presented conclusions and recommendations in a number of its reports that have been adopted by consensus among employers, labor unions, and civil society organizations. “Our latest positions and analyses regarding labor address workforce reproduction, curbing the informal economy, and improving working conditions for those working through digital platforms and other means,” said Chair Zornitsa Rusinova. The advisory body will continue to work toward finding balanced solutions through dialogue among the three groups represented within it, in support of decent work and a competitive economy.
Zornitsa Rusinova also said that the government has tasked the ESC with organizing a broad public debate on the reform of social legislation. The discussion will focus on the possibility of consolidating the fragmented social benefits regulations into a single Social Protection Code. The debate, which will take place this fall, will give all stakeholders the opportunity to propose solutions for modernizing the social system in line with today’s socioeconomic challenges. Among these challenges are the deepening demographic crisis, growing pressure on the social and healthcare systems, the changing needs of young people in the context of digital transformation, and others.
