site.btaUPDATED Social Partners Fail to Agree on Flexible Summer Work for Parents of Schoolchildren Under 12

Social partners on Monday failed to reach agreement on flexible summer work for parents of schoolchildren under 12. The National Council for Tripartite Cooperation (NCTC) discussed proposed amendments to the Labour Code that would grant parents of children aged 8 to 12 the right to flexible working hours during the summer school break.

The bill was introduced by Denitsa Sacheva and MPs from the government coalition, made up of GERB-UDF, BSP-United Left and There Is Such a People.

Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev, who chaired the meeting, said the parliamentary Labour and Social Policy Committee, chaired by Sacheva, reviewed the proposal on October 2 but did not achieve consensus.

"With our proposal, we are harmonizing the Labour Code with the Child Protection Act, which stipulates that children under the age of 12 cannot be left alone," said Sacheva. This is not a universal solution but offers parents and employers an option to agree on flexible working arrangements.

This is a very serious and pressing issue, said Sacheva. "During the recent summer holidays, all of us on the Committee received numerous inquiries. The Minister of Education has also repeatedly been asked to consider organizing summer activities for schoolchildren."

Sacheva noted increasing pressure from employees for work-life balance, emphasizing that while Bulgaria seeks to address its demographic challenges, parents should be helped to combine work with childcare. Changing family models and internal migration also mean many working parents live in areas without support from older relatives. Sacheva added that the focus is on the summer holidays because they are the longest period requiring alternative childcare solutions.

Labour and Social Policy Minister Borislav Gutsanov said his Ministry supports the bill, and suggested considering flexible work arrangements for shorter school holidays as well.

Rumen Donchev from the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association said his organization will abstain from supporting the proposal. He noted that the Labour Code already offers sufficient flexibility if both sides are willing to find a solution. Donchev questioned whether the bill properly addresses the long summer break in Bulgaria, which lasts nearly three months compared to six weeks in most other EU countries.

Maria Mincheva of the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA) voiced concern that the proposal might fragment the Labour Code if everyone requested remote work. She added that BIA does not oppose the proposal and hopes for active involvement from government and local authorities to address the ongoing childcare shortage amid a declining number of children.

Vasil Todorov of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) expressed concern that the provision may not be feasible in all sectors, particularly those with continuous production or requiring physical presence, and warned it could cause conflicts if work-from-home requests are denied. BCCI does not oppose the proposal.

Rumyana Georgieva of the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria confirmed her organization's support for flexible summer working hours for parents of children under 12. She emphasized the importance of maintaining the principle of mutual agreement between employer and employee. 

Lyuboslav Kostov of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) said the proposal may not apply in all sectors and enterprises, such as in public administration or in industries with non-stop production. CITUB supports the proposal but insists that the option for flexible working hours should be guaranteed, not dependent on employer approval.

Atanas Katsarchev of the Podkrepa Confederation of Labour expressed support in principle, noting the measure aligns with the Child Protection Act. He questioned why the proposal applies only to the summer holidays when other school breaks also pose challenges in arranging childcare.