ORGANISING TRADE UNION MEMBERS IN THE METALWORKING INDUSTRY IN BULGARIA

1. ORGANISING TRADE UNION MEMBERS IN THE METALWORKING INDUSTRY IN BULGARIA IMF-EMF COMMUNICATORS’ FORUM 17TH -18TH NOVEMBER 2009 FRANKFURT

2. BACKGROUND ♦ General unionization rate in Bulgaria- 15 % ♦ Unionization rate in the metal sector- 30 % ♦ Number of employees in the Metallurgical sector- 14 000

3. BACKGROUND ♦ TU “Metalicy” covers the following sectors: ● Ferrous and Non-ferrous metallurgy ● Machine building ● Repair organizations

4. BACKGROUND ♦ Total number of members in TU “Metalicy”- 6 000 ● number of members in Ferrous and Non-ferrous Metallurgy- 5 000 ● number of members inMachine building- 300 ● number of members – Repair organizations- 700 ♦ Total metal sector workforce organized in TU “Metalicy”- 60 % ♦ Female trade union members as a % of total union membership- 20 %

5. Problems ♦ Lack of motivation for trade union membership ●The problem with the passive behaviour of most of the members- the principle “ We have chosen you- Now you have to protect us” ♦ Fragmentation of sector trade union structures ♦ The trade union influence and density in SMEs is too weak

6. Aims ♦ Consolidation of sector trade union structure- direct result- strengthening the capacity, financial and expert resources, the authority and influence of the trade union federations for solving their members’ problems ♦ Raising the motivation for trade union membership- target groups- youth and women ♦ Organizing metalworkers in SMEs- strengthening the trade union presence and influence in SMEs ♦ Strengthening the relations with different NGOs and their existing networks /the relations with the Technical University and Chemical Technological Metallurgical University- popularizing the trade union among the students

7. Strategy for organizing ♦ Our efforts are directed mainly to: ● “conquest of new territories”- establishment of new trade union organizations in enterprises /mostly SMEs/, where there is no trade union presence ● recruitment of already established trade union structures and of new members in our trade union organizations /our affiliates/ in the enterprises- target group- youth and women

8. Tools • Communication strategy and channels for popularizing the trade union and our activity and for direct contact with our current and potential members • II. Social partnership at all levels and collective bargaining • III. Training and education courses for our members • IV. Different services and social projects for our members

9. I. Communication strategy and channels ♦ Main aim- permanent popularizing of the initiatives, activities and especially the successes of the trade union in the field of legislative initiatives, social partnership, collective bargaining, solving of labour disputes, charitable and educational activities. ♦ Channels: ● Information, explanatory and educational materials- leaflets, bulletins, handbooks, brochures ● our official website- www.metalicy-bg.com ● launching new website- www.labor-capital.org

10. www.labor-capital.org

11. II.Social partnership at all levels and collective bargaining ♦ Legislative initiatives- amendments in the Labour code related to wider protection of labour and insurance rights, collective bargaining, improvement of existing regulations on Occupational health and safety- additional leave, reduced working time, obligatory insurance for work accident and occupational disease on the employer’s account; initiatives in the field of the legislation regarding restructuring, tax system, credit regime. ♦ Mechanisms for indirect influence on workers- bipartite and tripartite social cooperation

12. II.Social partnership at all levels and collective bargaining ♦ Mechanisms for indirect influence on workers- tripartite and bipartite social cooperation ● negotiating better working conditions and social standards ● higher levels of minimum wage for the branch ● additional protective stipulations in collective agreements at company level- regarding protection of trade union members in case of redundancies, additional health insurance, social programs /programs for food vouchers, Christmas bonuses and etc/

13. II.Social partnership at all levels and collective bargaining ♦ Mechanisms for indirect influence on workers What the trade union member receives more from the Branch collective agreement? ● additional payment for night work- the negotiated amount is two times more than the amount envisaged by the law ● additional leave- one day more ● trade union protection ● inflation compensations- over 8 %

14. III. Training and education courses for our members ♦ Target groups- women and youth: ● yearly seminar dedicated to the women labour in the Metallurgy ● yearly seminar- Motivation of young people to work in the Metallurgy and be members in the trade union ● involvement of our young and women members in European and international training courses and projects ● involvement of our young and women members in our transnational projects ● active participation of our federation in the working out of the policy of the Confederation for recruitment of youth and women through our involvement in its structures- “Public Women Parliament-XXI” and “Youth Forum-XXI”

15. III. Training and education courses for our members ♦ Target groups- women and youth: ● establishment of women committees in the enterprises ● development of workers’ sport- establishment of structures in the enterprises for development of workers’ sport- Yearly National Open metalworkers’ sport games; Involvement in the National sport games organized by the Confederation

16. III. Training and education courses for our members ♦ Training of our trade union activists participating in the process of organizing and recruitment of new members ♦ Program for lifelong learning- training of trainers, foreign language education courses, training courses on actual social-economic issues, labour and insurance relations, Occupational health and safety, collective bargaining skills, communication policy, income policy, fight with stress on the workplace

17. IV. Different services and social projects for our members ♦ Our federation is the main initiator for establishment of a model for social partnership in branch Metallurgy ♦ The federation is one of the founders of a company for additional voluntary pension insurance ♦ Additional health insurance ♦ Advantageous regime and consultations for receiving credits and credit cards ♦ Preferential regime for subscription plans offered by the Bulgarian mobile operators ♦ Balneo-therapy and treatment ♦ Resort vacations and excursions

18. IV. Different services and social projects for our members ♦ Free juridical consultations ♦ Free consultations on issues regarding social insurance and all necessary documents for retirement ♦ Free juridical help for setting up a claim in the court on the following issues: ● non-observance of the time limit for payment of due wages ● not paying in of social insurance /benefits/ ● illegal dismissal ● illegal forced going on leave-without right of paid leave ● illegal transfer to another job/workplace without the consent of the worker/attendant

19. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! METALICY@ABV.BG WWW.METALICY-BG.COM