Enhancing Employment Regulation: The Bulgarian Experience in Adopting Agency Work Directives

1. The Bulgarian Example – adopting the directive Nadia Vassileva Round Table – Zagreb, 2013 July 1st 2013

2. CONTENT • Introduction • How Bulgaria adopted the directive – weak and strong points of the law, what went good? • How does that translate at national level? • Recommendations

3. Whyappropriateregulation is essentialfor the development of ourindustry • The most important outcome from a successful social dialogue is development of an adequate strategy in order to reach appropriate regulation locally • Temporary agency work is often vulnerable for abuses of workers, if it is not regulated and we need to differenciate “good” players from “bad” players • Too muchregulation is narrowing the room for agency work • Investing in socialdialogueaboutgoodpractices is desired

4. PrivateEmploymentAgencies: The background Usually Unions or inappropriate legislation impose complexity • We need to bring this down as much as possible so that we eliminate bureaucracy and focus on creating jobs Government has to be business friendly • Help companies with job creation through different boosts and benefits Creation of employment service board is essential • To estimate through statistics the good that our sector is doing • To prove that private employment agencies are part of the solution, not the problem Areas of cooperation between Public and Private Employment Agencies • Use of common terminology and pooling of information • Job vacancy exchange • Agreements to launch joint projects • Training of staff • Consultations to improve professional practices

5. Bulgaria Staffing Market Situation • BG Staffingwascreatedafter Mrs. Anne Marie Munz has visitedBulgaria in 2008 • The association started the process of identification the key players and decisionmakers on the market • EuroCiettiniciated a Round Table in Sofia in December 2009 – which gave a boost to the dialogue with the policymakers, to ensure the regulation on agencywork in Bulgaria – thiswas the beggining of the open dialogue with the key stakeholders • Unfortunatelly the social dialogue was not effective as therewas no understandingbetween the parties • Despite the efforts to have a constructive dialogue the Unions are not having relevant understanding as theybelieveagencies are not healthy for the market as theyincourageprecurious or illegalwork

6. Bulgarian Experience Experience in developing social dialogue: • Meetings with unions, making them understand how private agencies help the labour market • Meetings withMinistryof Labor and Social Policy explaining the benefits of regulating the industry in an appropriatewaywithless restrictions • Meetings with Agency of Employment sharing the experiencefromother countries • CooperationwithEmployers’ Organisations explaining the benefits of temoparyemployment for the business • Round Tables • Sectorial meetings Successful outcome: • Capability building and membership development to improve our capacity to act as the voice of business for the TAW industry • We focused to strengthen our image and reputation with key stakeholders • Using better the opportunities of social dialogue to advocate for business concerns • Lobbing and advocacy to assure a business friendly regulative environment for our sector • Regulation achieved, but not with the desired result • Directive was adopted with lots of restrictions • European Commission was informed about the case and still waiting for action

7. Recommendations: for appropriate regulation: • Ability to offer the full range of labor contracts (no limitation of restrictions) • Removal of key restrictions on the use of AW • No limitations of services to be delivered • No unjustified and inappropriate barriers to enter the market • Access to training for agency workers • Private Agencies are involved in the fight against illegal practices and unethical agencies

8. Thanks! Questions?