site.btaBulgaria, Cyprus and Greece in Joint Labour Inspections

General Labour Inspectorate Sofia welcomed a delegation of labour inspectors from Cyprus and Greece for joint inspections in Bulgaria, the institution said Friday. The visit was the result of productive cooperation among the three countries in enforcing labour legislation, following an initiative launched in November 2024, when Bulgarian inspectors participated in a similar activity in Greece. The event was organized and supported by the European Labour Authority (ELA).

After introduction to the General Labour Inspectorate Executive Agency activity, the guests joined inspections of construction sites in Sofia. The inspections revealed that some of the sites did not meet the minimum requirements for healthy and safe working conditions and Bulgarian inspectors issued stop-work orders for construction and installation activities. The enforcement is applied when violations pose a direct threat to workers’ lives and health and serves as a preventive measure against serious workplace accidents.

At some of the inspected sites, good practices were observed regarding the overall organization and implementation of policies ensuring healthy and safe working conditions.

No workers without employment contracts were found during the inspections, nor were there any illegally residing third-country nationals or individuals without proper work authorization.

After the inspections, the participants reviewed the results and exchanged knowledge and experience in labour inspection. Legal frameworks related to labour law compliance were also discussed. The guests from the Greek and Cypriot Labour Inspectorates gave high praise for the professionalism and performance of their Bulgarian counterparts. They noted that they face similar challenges during inspections and emphasized that such exchanges offer valuable opportunities to share best practices for overcoming difficulties in inspection work.