On 24th October at the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, representatives of Holding Bulgarian State Railways EAD and the National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC) presented their proposals for immediate, mid-term and long-term measures aimed at improving the work flow efficiency and the safety of transport in both companies to Minister Angelkova, Deputy minister Georgi Todorov, the management of Railway Administration Executive Agency (RAEA) and the managements of the nationally representative trade unions.

FTTUB was represented by its president Ekaterina Yordanova, the executive secretary Daniela Zlatkova, Sasho Aleksov, chairman of BRU at NRIC and BSR, and Plamena Zheliazkova, rail transport representative at FTTUB Youth Committee.

FTTUB pointed out the importance of identifying and laying out measures for the prevention of psychosocial risks at the workplace, as a key step to improving workplace conditions and safety in the railway transport sector.

Minister Angelkova acknowledged the importance of this issue and endorsed its inclusion into the Action plan, using the occasion to inform the participants in the meeting about the possibility for the railway companies to apply with projects on training and improving of qualifications, as well as for purchasing working uniforms, in the next programming period of “Human resources” OP. She stressed that the operational staff is the mainstay of the railway and that the future of the sector depends on its highly qualified personnel.

In relation to the proposal of FTTUB’s president Ekaterina Yordanova for resumption of the Sectoral Council on working conditions, a new idea shaped out on which all participants agreed unanimously. An Advisory Committee for Safety to the Minister of Transport, Information technology and Communications will be set up, with the representative trade unions in the railway sector and the management of the two public companies on board. The first meeting of the Committee, which will ensure that the planned measures will be consistently implemented while taking the results into account, will be held next month.

FTTUB is hopeful that the constructive dialogue between the social partners within the transport ministry will continue in the spirit of cooperation.