Every fourth violation of labor rights is related to delays in payments or unpaid salaries, according to the annual report of CITUB researching the nature of violations of labor rights for the last year.
Every third signal is for non-compliance with the anti-epidemic measures by employers.
CITUB insists on legal changes related to the regulation of labor rights in the conditions of "home office" which were imposed by the pandemic.
What are the signals?
Signals related to COVID-19?
Where are the most common violations?
What are the difficulties for employees and businesses?
Ralitsa Slavova - a fitness instructor in a sports hall in Yambol. Returning to work after months of isolation is difficult for both her and her clients.
For Ralitsa, the pandemic was a real ordeal. After the gym was shut closed, she tried training outdoors.
"I went through many states - severe depression, severe apathy, disappointment. I no longer believed in the promises that it would open in 10 days, a month, two months", Ralitsa revealed.
She admits that she survived with the help of her brother, who supported her financially.
Restaurants also experienced the damage of the crisis. Owners say they had to start from scratch and will recover for months. One of the restaurants in Yambol fired half of its staff due to the pandemic. Many of the people who were forced on unpaid leave for months now work again.
According to restaurateurs, it will take months for the industry to emerge from the crisis.
Experts explain:
The situation is serious and will not become any easier. There were efforts for legislative changes 3-4 years ago. The problem persists and has been exacerbated by the crisis for economic reasons. This is a valid reason to look for new solutions in the legislative plan ", Vice-President of CITUB Chavdar Hristov commented.
According to the Deputy Chairman of BIA Maria Mincheva, the established violations are fully expected given the pandemic situation and the legislative chaos created by the government in an attempt to solve the problems.
"When we discussed some of the measures related to employment support, employers were looking for a way to protect the interests of their employees. We have always discussed how it would be better for both parties - employers and employees," Mincheva commented.
"It's different. The business needs to have a correct, humane approach toward the employees. When this is the case, things are resolved," Chavdar Hristov added.
However, businesses also have difficulty organizing work from home. They also face the problem of people working less at home.
"It is debatable whether a text should have been introduced in the Emergency Law that allowed the employer to unilaterally order the transition to remote work. The principle established in the Labor Code was violated, namely that it is a voluntary method and it is considered that in view of the pandemic situation the employer should have this right", Chavdar Hristov added.
