European Restructuring Monitor (ERM)
Eurofound's ERM database on restructuring-related legal regulations provides information on regulations in the Member States of the European Union and Norway which are explicitly or implicitly linked to anticipating and managing change.
Article 130a
In Bulgaria, companies envisage redundancies only as last resort and only after having considered all possible alternative options and/or identifying and implementing supporting measures (such as phasing planned measures over time, extending or reducing working time, seeking replacement activities). The employer is obliged to consult with trade unions about such alternatives. The trade unions may submit a statement to the Employment Agency (not compulsory) related to options for future employment of the dismissed employees.
In order to protect the interests and rights of employees, the Labour Code requires that the employer is obliged before the consultations with the social partners, to provide written information to the representatives of the trade unions and the representatives of the employees for the reasons for the dismissals envisaged. Such information needs to include the following information:
All this information could be used by the employee representatives and the employer to reach an agreement, to avoid or limit mass layoffs and mitigate their consequences.
In case of nonfulfillment of this employer's obligation, the representatives of the trade unions and the representatives of the employees have the right to alert the Executive Agency 'Labour Inspectorate' for non-observance of the labour legislation.
Eurofound (2015), Bulgaria: Obligation to consider alternatives to collective dismissals, Restructuring legislation database, Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/legislationdb/obligation-to-consider-alternatives-to-collective-dismissals/bulgaria
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