Members of the Tripartite Council did not allow Ombudsperson at the meeting

The tripartite council started with a scandal today after the Bulgarian Ombudsman Maya Manolova asked to participate in the meeting with the idea to present the amendments to the Social Security Code, which were submitted by GERB and supported by the Ombudsman. They provide for early retirement of miners in the most recently closed mine in Bulgaria, without having the necessary length of service and age.

The social partners refused to allow the participation of the Ombudsman in the meeting - both the employers and the representatives of the two trade uniuons said that as a rule Manolova it is not entitled to participate in NCTC meetings, unless she has been officially invited by some of the representative organizations of the council.

Manolova, on her behalf, said that under the law of the Ombudsman she has the right to participate in the discussions of texts and legislative changes concerning the protection of citizens' rights.

Maya Manolova - National Ombudsman of Republic of Bulgaria: “At the end of last year, without any debates in parliament, without any explanation, without financial justification - the miners were deprived of the right to retire under the order and procedures set out in the legislation unitl then - miners who have 10, 15, 20, 25 years of work experience underground”, she said.

The National Council for Tripartite Cooperation also discussed the new model for assessing the type and extent of disability.