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15 December, 1999The current situation at the VMZ company of unpaid wages and employment insecurity is leading to increasing social tension which could easily result in civil protests.
BULGARIA: The International Metalworkers' Federation is extremely concerned about a serious attack on fundamental human and trade union rights taking place in Bulgaria at the VMZ company in Sopot. Management has paid the workers only a small fraction of their wages for several months -- roughly the equivalent of DM 60 (US$30), which is less than the Bulgarian minimum wage. The last payment they received was only DM 25 (US$13), which is expected to last until January 3, 2000. And now management wants to force workers to take an extended holiday without any payment whatsoever, despite the fact that this constitutes a flagrant breach of the country's labour legislation.
VMZ's management has not only refused to allow officials from the Federation of Machinebuilders, an IMF affiliate, access to the plant to talk to the workers, but they have also barred the local plant-level officials from entering the plant, which is in contradiction to basic trade union rights.
In a letter to the Bulgarian prime minister, Ivan Kostov, the IMF's general secretary, Marcello Malentacchi, reminds him that Bulgaria has ratified ILO Conventions Nos. 87 and 98, providing for freedom of association and collective bargaining. "This means that you are obliged to ensure that these rights are fully honoured and applied," wrote Malentacchi. Consequently, he asks the prime minister to intervene directly in the dispute to ensure it is resolved speedily and amicably, and guarantee that:
- all outstanding wages are paid, without delay;
- trade union rights are fully restored and all democratically-elected union officials are given unrestricted access to the plant and the workers, and
- the employment rights of VMZ workers are fully protected and their wages are paid at the appropriate time.
VMZ's management has not only refused to allow officials from the Federation of Machinebuilders, an IMF affiliate, access to the plant to talk to the workers, but they have also barred the local plant-level officials from entering the plant, which is in contradiction to basic trade union rights.
In a letter to the Bulgarian prime minister, Ivan Kostov, the IMF's general secretary, Marcello Malentacchi, reminds him that Bulgaria has ratified ILO Conventions Nos. 87 and 98, providing for freedom of association and collective bargaining. "This means that you are obliged to ensure that these rights are fully honoured and applied," wrote Malentacchi. Consequently, he asks the prime minister to intervene directly in the dispute to ensure it is resolved speedily and amicably, and guarantee that:
- all outstanding wages are paid, without delay;
- trade union rights are fully restored and all democratically-elected union officials are given unrestricted access to the plant and the workers, and
- the employment rights of VMZ workers are fully protected and their wages are paid at the appropriate time.