The Presidential institution will continue to be an active partner in addressing important social issues in Bulgaria. We have good contacts with the trade unions and this dialogue will develop in the future. This was said by President Rosen Plevneliev, who met today at 2 Dondoukov Boulevard with the General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, Sharan Burrow. Ms Burrow is visiting Bulgaria for the opening of an international conference entitled "Employment and Income - Dialogue for Growth and a Better Future for Bulgaria”. The meeting was attended by the President of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB), Plamen Dimitrov, and Podkrepa President Dr. Konstantin Trenchev.

President Plevneliev and Ms Burrow agreed that the International Labour Organization’s Global Jobs Pact, the aim of which is to find working steps to restore the national economy from the crisis and in which Bulgaria is one of 10 pilot countries, will show its viability and improve the performance of Bulgaria’s real economy and social sphere. There was also agreement that even small amounts of investment in energy efficiency and “green economic growth” lead to qualitative improvement of the business environment and opens the way for a significant increase in jobs. President Plevneliev said that these issues would be solved by the priorities set in the process of updating the national energy strategy.

President Plevneliev told Ms Burrow that in his speech on being sworn in as Head of State, he had promised that the presidential institution would work to achieve economic growth based on a sustainable social environment, and he emphasised that he is still mindful of this commitment. “Bulgaria does not feel good about having the lowest incomes in Europe, the highest energy intensity in production and the poorest infrastructure, and we will do what it takes to change this,” he said.

The President acquainted Ms Burrow with Bulgaria’s preparations in 2012 towards the Bulgaria 2020 National Programme, as part of the Europe 2020 Pan-European strategy.
The President emphasised that representatives of trade unions, academia, and NGOs will be included in the work of the Presidency’s advisory councils. The Presidents of CITUB and Podkrepa welcomed the Presidency’s readiness to take an active park in the quest for effective solutions to the issues of economic development, and in the environmental and social spheres.

Ms Burrow expressed satisfaction at the vibrant social and expert activities of leading trade unions in Bulgaria and emphasised the need to restore public confidence in social dialogue and respect for commitments already undertaken. She said that the anti-crisis measures that countries take today should not be brought down by fiscal constraints and economies should focus on jobs and employment promotion.