Headquarters: Sofia, 20 Frederick Joliot Curie St., fl. 16, tel.: +359 2 865 74 94, +359 2 816 4380, +359 2 963 38 71, tel./fax +359 2 865 70 17

Establishment: On 3rd October 1996, 19 trade union and civic organisations set up an Association for National Trade Union and Civic Actions (ANTUCA) PROMYANA (without legal registration yet) signing an agreement for joint actions with a purpose to overthrow the government of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and to provoke pre - term parliamentary elections. PROMYANA Union was established on 20th April 1997 as a direct successor of ANTUCA. Dimitar Dimanov, previously president of the National Trade Union - NTU, was elected president of the association.

First Manifestation: On 19th December 1996 PROMYANA organised a meeting against the BSP government. That was the first meeting in Bulgaria to herald the decisive actions of protest during the winter of 1996-1997, which caused the downfall of the socialist government. PROMYANA’S participation in the events on 10th - 11th January 1997 was of a particular significance. Owing to the good organisation of PROMYANA breaks toward the building of the National Assembly were not allowed.

Legal Registration: 23rd June 1997 - City Court of Sofia

Legal Registration of the Union of Ttade Unions in PROMYANA: 29th April 1998 - City Court of Sofia.

Governing Bodies:

• Congress - a supreme collective body; it is summoned every 3 years; (First Congress held on 8th - 9th June 1998);
• Board: Consists of 7 people headed by Dimitar Dimanov;

Structure: Promyana Union comprises three unions within its framework - Trade Union, Civic and Professional-class, regulated by the Statutes adopted at the First Congress of PROMYANA. Practically Promyana Association is the first organisation of a similar sort to be registrated in Bulgaria comprising trade union, professional-and-class and civic structures.

Member Organizations:

• 20 Trade Union, Civic and Professional-Class Organisations among which: Union of Power Engineers in Bulgaria; National Union of Dockers and Port Seamen; Bulgarian Physicians’ Union; Miners’ Federation; Teachers’ Trade Union in Bulgaria; Railwaymen’s Trade Union, Trade Union of Autotransport Workers; National Union of Shipping Agents; Bulgarian Association of Hotels and Restaurants; National Trade Union of Private Contractors etc.
• 28 regional organisations, set up on the territory of the county centres in Bulgaria.

Aims:

• Protection of collective rights of trade unions against actions or lack of actions of state and municipal bodies, officials and employers as well as assistance for realisation of their representatives within the system of social co-operation.
• Protection of social, cultural and economic rights of the Association members;
• Spreading of democratic ideas of civic society and assistance for social, cultural and economic integration of Bulgaria within the boundaries of United Europe;

In order to achieve its goals Promyana Union:

• Participates in the activities of social co-operation bodies at all levels and protects the collective rights of its members;
• Creates contacts with similar organisations and circles in the country and abroad;
• Helps develop free market economy and effectively supports the privatisation process in the country;
• Gives assistance for gathering and distribution of humanitarian aids through Bulgarian and foreign charity organisations as well as through government and nongovernment organisations which help our country.
• Within PROMYANA functions a Centre for Analyses and Prognoses, where prominent specialists in various fields of science (permanently appointed and part-time) develop their research, prognoses and recommendations in respect to the macroeconomics indicators (inflation, living standards etc.).

General principles

“PROMYANA UNION” is a non-economic voluntary association, which consists of independent trade union organizations, professional-class and civil unions, based on a national and territorial principle.

The following are the unions, founded according to the national principle:

The unions at PROMYANA Union are legal entities.

Regional organizations are created according to a territorial principle.

“PROMYANA Union” is a non-economic legal entity, which executes its activity in the service of society.

Principles, objectives and means of achieving them

“PROMYANA Union” is governed by the following founding principles:

1. Voluntary principle of membership.
2. Equality of members.
3. Elective and mandatory principle.
4. Democratic definition of all programme objectives and tasks.
5. Consideration of resolutions, adopted by the majority and non-infringement of the minority rights.

The following are major objectives of “PROMYANA Union”:

1. To provide assistance for realizing representation of the Promyana Trade unions in the system for social partnership and to ensure participation of its members in the gratuitous assignment of trade union property;
2. To execute socially useful activities, social partnership and partnership with the executive power organs and the employers.
3. To assist for the participation of representatives of “PROMYANA Union” in the collective management organs for social security and other social funds;
4. To defend the social, cultural and economic rights of the Union's members;
5. To assist their social integration and personal realization;
6. To popularize democratic ideas for a civil society;
7. To assist for the social, cultural and economic integration of Bulgaria within the framework of United Europe, as well as in joint international programmes and projects;
8. To participate with opinions and suggestions in the discussion and preparation of draft bills, connected with the activity of the trade union, occupational and professional-class and civil organizations.

In order to achieve its major objectives, “PROMYANA Union”:

1. Establishes contacts with similar organizations and circles in the country and abroad;
2. Provides assistance for the development of free market and competitive market economy and economic growth through active expert-analytical presence in society;
3. Executes active media policy in defense of the interests of its members and the development of the civil society values;
4. Maintains dialogue with the executive power organs about issues, concerning the socio-economic development and the standard of living of the population.
5. Will engage in additional activity with the following subject: consulting, advertising and publishing activity, organizing training and educational courses as well as any other activity, requisite to achieving its objectives and legally allowed, without allocating profit.

• PROMYANA Trade Union was established and legally registered in the spring of 1998 as a part of Promyana UNION.
• PROMYANA Trade Union consists of over 20 branch organizations, allocated in 28 regional structures on the territory of the district centers. They have over 50 000 members.
• PROMYANA Trade Union was recognized on 25.11.2004 as a representative national organization of workers and employees with a Decree of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria.
• PROMYANA Trade Union participates in the all bodies for social partnership on a national level in benefit of the employees in their relationship with the State and employers.
  
  

The main goals of PROMYANA Trade Union are:

1. Cooperation for harmonizing the Bulgarian legislation in the social-economical area with the European legal provisions and practice.

Considering this, the efforts of PROMYANA Trade Union are directed to the adoption of a new Labor Code, Trade Unions Law, Employers Organizations Law, introduction of a Worker’s Councils as an effective form of a social dialogue on an enterprise level, inventing Labor Courts to raise control and jurisdiction in the area of labor disputes

2. Reforming the system of social dialogue in accordance with European principles and practice.

3. Protection of the collective and individual rights of the members.

In every action PROMYANA is guided led by the obligations to its members for resolving their daily problems in interaction with the state bodies and employers.

4. Reforming the system of the tripartite dialogue in the state.

We declare:

Enjoying full rights as a qualified participant in the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation PROMYANA Trade Union will:

1. Categorically stand for positions correspond to the real possibilities of the Bulgarian economic - without populism and momentary political sympathies.
2. Take into account our experience, we consider, that the street demonstrations and the strikes are extreme form of protest. In the most cases they don’t resolve the every-day problems of the people and often are used by different formations for achieving their own political aims. We firmly believe that decisions must be taken through dialogue and negotiations. They have to defend the interests of the parties concerned and they have to respect the state laws.
3. Protecting the interests of the employees mostly confronting the employers, instead the state administration.
4. Raising and consolidating employees trust in the trade-unions.
5. Giving opportunities to the employees (by changing the legislation) to hold direct and anonymous elections of their representatives, who will defend vigorously the interests of the employees versus the employers.
6. Creating working structures in the private enterprises, that will defend the interests of the employees and will balance their relationship with their employers.

As the newest participant in
the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation,
PROMYANA Trade Union will act
regardless of any political and ideological belongings
or belongings to other trade unions.