The Podkrepa Confederation of Labour and the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) will mark International Workers Day, May 1, with various events in Sofia and across the country on Thursday,according to the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA).
In Sofia, Podkrepa will hold its traditional march under the slogan "Don't touch the regulation of household electricity!". In this way, the union once again recalls its demand for clarity, transparency and a clear mechanism in determining electricity prices for household consumers. Podkrepa insists that liberalization should not affect socially vulnerable households. More than two and a half million Bulgarians fall into the energy poor category, with the majority of them working.. The trade union also insists on a decisive increase in incomes in all sectors and economic activities, says a position on the organization's official website. The priority is to reach 80% coverage with collective labour agreements for employees in all sectors, as well as the adoption of a law that would guarantee the constitutional right to strike.
The procession will start at the St. Nedelya Square and end at the Earth and Man National Museum, with the Rock for Labour concert featuring Vasko The Patch Poduene Blues Band, Duo Valdi, Atlas, Sprint, Kotseto Kalki and Martina, Milena, and others.
CITUB will celebrate International Workers’ Day with a festive podcast on the topic "The Voice of Working Bulgaria". The episode will be broadcast live on the union's Facebook and YouTube channel. The union's experts will give specific advice to workers on the most common violations found, how to protect their rights, which institutions to turn to and what they can do. The following will also be discussed: the future of labour and digitalization, the new network of trusted union lawyers in the country. The CITUB studio will feature vice presidents Todor Kapitanov, Ognyan Atanasov and Daniela Aleksieva, chief economist Lyuboslav Kostov, experts, lawyers, federation leaders, students from the CITUB and University of National and World Economy master's programme on Unionism and Union Policies.
On May 1, the CITUB presented its 10th Annual Report on Violations Related to the Exercise of Labour Rights. It summarized 17,502 signals submitted in 2024 through the CITUB online platform for monitoring and legal consultations, their mobile application, union structures, trusted lawyers, the media, social networks and the podcast. The CITUB insists on a comprehensive strengthening of control mechanisms, improving the legal protection of workers and establishing unions as a key partner in the process of guaranteeing decent working conditions.
An information campaign and free consultations on labor and social security issues will be organized by the CITUB in the country on Thursday and Friday.
