To put people first on the migration agenda

1. To put people first on the migration agenda PODKREPA ‘ strong commitment to guarantee equal and decent pay with equitable working conditions for all

2. 2011 census – main results Trends of the country population As of 1 February 2011 the population of Bulgaria is 7 364 570 • 3 777 999 persons (51.3%) are women and 3 586 571 persons (48.7%) are men • Within the period between the two censuses 2001 and 2011 the country population decreased with 564 331 persons and the average annual rate of decrease is 0.7%. • 62.2% of the country population is at working age or 4 576 904 persons. 52.5% are male and 47.5% - female. 65% of the urban population is at working age, compared to 54.7% - of rural population. • Two thirds of the decrease is due to the negative natural increase and one third (31.1%) to the international migration, which is estimated at 175 244 persons.

3. 2011 census – main results Migration official data • Within the period 1980 – 2011233 463 persons have changed their current address abroad with an address in Bulgaria. 91.9% of them are Bulgarian citizens who return to Bulgaria after stay abroad. Nearly 73% of them resided from one to five years abroad, 17.1% - from five to ten years and 7.2% - more than eleven years. 57.5% of residents abroad are male. • Among the Bulgarian citizens who have stayed abroad persons with secondary education are prevailing - 45.8%, with tertiary - 34.1%, with lower secondary - 13%.

4. Migrationthe reality The democratisation process in Bulgaria / after 1989/ led to waves of large-scale movement of workforce, as emigrationlargely prevails. Hence Bulgaria has already been facing the consequences of mass emigration outflows. • Three periods withregard to migration flows from Bulgaria • The first period (1990-2000) includes the start of the transition and theeconomic downturn and as a result of a number of very radical economic and social reforms; privatisation and mass layoffs; liquidation of existingcooperatives in agricultural sector that caused high rural unemployment, etc. Within that periodthe lack of jobs and population impoverishment stimulated emigration. According to someinformation sources the migrants for the period 1989-2000 numbered 691 thousand people

5. Migration the reality • The second periodcovers 2000 – 2007 and is characterised by: significantly improved economic and social environment; increase of job opportunities and income level. As result after 2002 the emigration outflow was stabilised at a level of about 7% of the population as potential longterm migrants. However, the country remained relatively poor - the GDP per capita was 33.9% of Western Europe level and this lower living standard compared with the EU-25 made the country less attractive for immigrants due to which Bulgaria was mostly a “transitional” country for them on their way to Western Europe. • The third period in the economic development starts in 2007, when Bulgaria became a member of the EU. The new status of the country as a member of the Union, on the one hand, changed the content of the ‘Bulgarian emigration” to Western Europe and on the other, increased the attractiveness of the country for immigrants.

6. Migration the reality According to our estimation, data for Bulgarians living or working abroad may be summarized as follows: • Destination countries from EU of migrant workers from Bulgaria are Spain / 120 ooo / Greece / 110 ooo/, Italy / 1o0 ooo/, United Kinsdom /60 ooo/, Cuprus / 52 000/, Germany /50 ooo/, Austria /25 ooo/, France / 15 ooo/, other EU countries – as Czech Republic / 10 000/, Hungary /5 000/. Destination country outside of EU with the largest number Bulgarian emigrants are the United States of America / about 200 000/, Canada / 45 000/, South Africa / 20 000/ • The basic characteristics of Bulgarian long-term emigrants were welleducated young people, incl. women in fertile age; while low-qualified people declared intentions for short-term, seasonal labour emigration.

7. Migration the reality Approximately 1,2 million Bulgarians are currently based abroad, equal to 16% of the population and their absence from Bulgaria as active employees, leads to a lack of social contributions which results are in lower pensions and lower unemployment benefits. • Emigration of workforce causes additional negative effects as: • Lack of practical adjustment mechanisms on the labour market and limitation of the possibilities of workers representation • Effective and long-term decrease of workforce competitiveness • But the free movement of workforce also has positive results as: • May at a later stage become an important contribution to the specialized knowledge acquired outside the country in case parts of those working abroad, decide to come back to Bulgaria to develop productive activities; • Realize considerable transfers of money and support the purchasing power. Now a day those remittances are a lifeline to large sections of the Bulgarian economy, particularly the retail trade and the housing market. money sent by Bulgarian migrants to family members back home – continue to increase steadily despite the global downturn.

8. Our record • According to the World Bank, Bulgaria has one of the highest proportions of its population working abroad of any country in the world and remains one of Europe's biggest recipients of remittances. Bulgarian immigrants sent home EUR 377.4 M in May 2011, which is a record-high level of transfers since the Bulgarian National Bank started collecting data about remittances back in 2004, the bank said. • Data shows that the net sum of the remittances from Bulgarians permanently working abroad totaled EUR 335.7 monthly, since the beginning of 2011, up by 1.85% in comparison with the same period last year. The increase in the amount of remittances from Bulgarians working abroad has been firm over the last few years. Total funds transferred to Bulgaria annually have gone up from EUR 693.90 M in 2008 to a whopping EUR 759.6 M in 2010.

9. The national policy on mobile/migrant workers This policy is based on the international and EU commitments and legislation into force and follows the generally acknowledged principles regarding migrants, but was much more focused on emigration. Presently the government undertakes more systematic steps for developing a consistent policy in the field of migration, incl. development of strategic documents and action plans related to emigration and immigration. These steps have been provoked by widespread debates concerning demographic trends and labour shortages. The aim of the elaborated policy is to reduce and stabilise the emigration flows and to stimulate immigration as apossible decision for bettering demographic balance and increasing labour supply.

10. The national policy on mobile/migrant workers The core of Bulgarian emigration policy is to prevent young people from future emigration. The particular measures and tasks for decreasing the number of emigrating young people include: • Promotion of employment and decrease of unemployment among young people; • Improvement of working conditions, remuneration and quality of employment; ensuring equal access to quality education; • relief in crediting for the purchase of housing, furnishing and improving dwelling conditions; • creating conditions for overcoming poverty and social isolation among disadvantages youngsters; stimulating family formation, child rising and upbringing; easing the transition from school to employment; increasing the knowledge of youths about their labour/insurance rights and

11. Trade unions have to play a key role in providing information and support to migrant workers Key priorities • To push for a better economic governance positive to jobs ‘creation and growth , by re-establishing the equality –austerity measures/ financial restrictions – revenues increase/ financial transactions tax • To introduce of one Social clause to the Lisbon Treaty • transformation of the fundamental rights into economic rights • to insist on equal workings conditions and equal pay for all workers- despite their origin - migrant or native-born workers

12. Trade unions have to play a key role in providing information and support to migrant workers General principles • To put people first on the migration agendaboth in the country of origin and of destination, through recognition and strengthening of migrants’ rights. • To integrate the issue of migration fully into the global and national development, economic, employment, social and security agendas • To ensure greater policy coherence between these agendas and between the stakeholders involved: international, european, governments, businesses, trade unions, civil society and migrants themselves.

13. Trade unions have to play a key role in providing information and support to migrant workers Confederation of Labour PODKREPA implication: • Promote a rights-based migration policy by enforcement of the labour standards – both for local workers and for migrants • Promote a comprehensive vision on low skilled migrant labour in Europe • Provide migrant/mobile workers with information, advice and support in Bulgaria before leaving abroad • Address the specific risk of migrants workers – especially domestic workers and those employed in the informal economy • Investigate possibilities for fair wage and decent working conditions for mobile/migrants workers • Publish materials showing the positive contribution – to interline the human face of the migrants ‘story • Develop trade union strategy to organize migrants – to help their integration, when addressing practical issues – as lodging complains, applying for a position/ subvention/ and similar everyday questions One small thing – a little help – may convince somebody to affiliate to a TU • Cooperate wit different partner trade unions from the host countries; • Initiate an active, but personal dialogue with migrantswith regard to better understand theirs point of view and motivation

14. Trade unions have to play a key role in providing information and support to migrant workers PODKREPA good practices on migrant workers PODKREPA is publishing and disseminating at regular basis a special edition with information for the legal opportunities of Bulgarian citizens to work in a different EU country. Those brochures provide useful information about the existing regulations on the workforce mobility within the EU and about the specific national labour legislation. They contains also brief overview for the geographic and economical situation and for the institutions, responsible for the employment conditions. Till the present moment we already published two brochures for the employment conditions in UK and Germany and we prepare the editions for France, Greece and Italy.The brochures are disseminated via our Informational offices PODKREPA for Decent Work to those workers and unemployed, which have intention to look for a job within EU.

15. Trade unions have to play a key role in providing information and support to migrant workers • With regard to improve our activities and policies on migrant workers PODKREPA CL signed three Bilateral Protocols for Cooperation.Those Protocols foresee juridical, economic and professional advising, consulting and support for the legally employed and affiliated to union workers in the respective countries. Organization of different events, publication of materials and cultural manifestations are included also as mutual engagements. Those Protocols we signed with our partners from UK, Italy and Cyprus. Nowadays we are under negotiations for signing similar bilateral protocols with trade union organizations from Germany, Greece and France. • In June this year PODKREPA signedthe Joint statement for establishment of Trade Union European Network with engagement to promote the efficient and effective protection and TU affiliation of mobile/migrants workers

16. Thank you for your attention ! VeselinaStarcheva Senior expert , PODKREPA CL vstarcheva@podkrepa.org 2, Angel Kanchev Str. Sofia, Bulgaria