“Transnational Cooperation supporting Bulgarian workers in the construction sector and other sectors” is a transnational cooperation project between the Bulgarian Labour Inspectorate and a German NGO Arbeit und Leben Berlin-Brandenburg. The cooperation supports the rights of Bulgarian workers in Germany. The main focus is preventing social dumping, social fraud, discrimination, exploitation, and other violations of the rights of Bulgarian migrants and posted workers in Germany. Activities mainly target the construction sector and aim to ensure compliance with labour and social security legislation in both countries.
One of the key activities of the cooperation is the dissemination of information to Bulgarian workers. For that reason they have jointly produced a handbook titled “Na gurbet – Decent Work in Germany. My rights as a posted worker in Germany”. The aim is to inform Bulgarian workers of their rights and direct them to reputable consultation centers, as well as an Information video presenting a case of a Bulgarian posted worker.
The cooperation also includes joint work on common cases and consultations, the exchange of expertise, and joint participation in international meetings, projects, and work programs. The project partners have also participated in bilateral working groups organised by the German Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the Bulgarian Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, as every two years both labour ministers sign a new working programme with new priorities.
This cooperation, which began in March 2018, is a successful example of how a non-governmental organisation in the host country can work together with a public authority in the sending country to protect the rights of migrant workers.
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Background information
The call for good practices is a recurring initiative first launched by ELA in June 2022. The purpose of the call is to exchange, disseminate and uptake good practices and knowledge collected by Member States and other stakeholders that operate at the national, regional or local level, including social security institutions, civil society and social partner organisations. Each annual call has a specified deadline for submission of good practices. Each year there is a different set of priorities.
The findings from the calls are anticipated to contribute to the effective application and enforcement of EU labour mobility law within the EU, by encouraging good practice exchange, and their potential further application by Member States.
