Bulgarian railway workers set for all-out strike

Railway workers in Bulgaria will embark on indefinite strike action next week in protest over planned restructuring, which is set to see more than 2000 jobs axed.

The workers, who are employed by the national railway operator BDZ, its passenger and freight transport subsidiaries as well as the National Railway Infrastructure Company, have agreed unanimously to take strike action from 24 November. Represented by ITF trade unions that are affiliated to two major national Bulgarian confederations – the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria and the Confederation of Labour “Podkrepa” – the workers are walking out following an announcement by BDZ management that the company would be restructured, slashing some 2000 jobs and taking more than 150 trains out of service.

The workers are also furious about the company’s failure to comply with strike agreements signed with the unions and its continual flouting of the social dialogue process. The railway companies have also taken a number of other steps, such as dismissed union members; cut operational personnel and outsourced a variety of activities. According to the unions, management is also deliberately stalling on negotiations for new collective agreements.

In protest, starting on 24 November, railway workers will stop work every day from 08:00 to 16:00, which is likely to bring the system to a standstill.

Ekaterina Yordanova, president of Federation of Transport Trade Unions in Bulgaria, stated that the unions were taking strike action as a last resort; they had received no indication that the company was willing to cooperate.

"We, the trade unions, have submitted our recommendations, but nobody from the management even bothered to read through them. Obviously, the new management wants to reform the company all by itself; but we would like to warn them that without the unions they will not succeed,” she said.