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The objective of the Roundtable was to bring together the key stakeholders in the Private Employment Sector in Bulgaria namely, representatives of the two trade union federations (Podkrepa and CITUB), the employers associations, government representatives from the Ministry of Labour and state representatives from the Bulgarian Labour inspectorate and Bulgarian National Employment agency. In Bulgaria, there is currently no legislation regulating the Private Employment Agency sector as it is a relatively new sector to the Bulgarian Labour market. During the Round table, Rachel Owens on behalf of UNI europa and Denis Pennel on behalf of Eurociett presented the purpose and functioning of the European Social Dialogue and gave details surrounding the Implementation of the TAW Directive. Ms Owens highlighted some problematic areas currently being faced by UNI europa's UK affiliates with regards to avoidance measures which, in UNI europa's opinion, if allowed to be put into practice would lead to a massive reduction in the number of temporary agency workers protected by the legislation. She also emphasized the need to have a sustainable approach to national social dialogue which, is open and frank in nature, in order to have a well functioning industrial relations system. Best practices in national social dialogue were then shared by Dario Campeotto from the Italian union FISASCAT and reports were given by Károly Gyorgy from the Hungarian Trade Union MSZOSZ and Maurice Delbar on behalf of the Polish employers association ZAPT, on progress made since the previous two Roundtables.



In the afternoon, the Bulgarian Minister of Labour Mr Totyo Mladenov and the two presidents of PODKREPA and CITUB addressed the participants by stating their commitment to commencing a real process of social dialogue in this sector. They further explained how the national social partners have been given a mandate by the Bulgarian government to try to come to an autonomous agreement for the transposition of the TAW Directive. Both union and employers representatives praised the new government's promise to reinstall social dialogue at a national level and welcome the opportunity to come to an autonomous agreement. Bernadette Ségol, UNI europa's regional secretary, then addressed the floor emphasizing the support UNI europa would provide to the Bulgarian union organisations with regards to examples of best practice in collective bargaining, with regards to the transposition of the TAW Directive and for the promotion of national social dialogue.



UNI europa would like to wish the Bulgarian social partners every success in their negotiations and hope that this will lead to real progress in the area of social dialogue.