FTTU conducted training on safety and health at work

In the period 8-10.10.2025 in the town of Kostenets, FTTU and CITUB organized training on health and safety at work. More than 20 union members of the federation, representatives of 'Metropolitan Electric Transport', 'Metropolitan Auto Transport', 'Metropolitan', Sofia Airport, and 'Burgasbus' participated in it.

The first day began with a conference on the topic 'OHS when working with carcinogens', moderated by Ognyan Atanasov – vice president of CITUB. The lecturers were Violeta Dobreva – executive director of FTTU, Darina Konova - Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, Raina Georgieva, and Vladimir Vladimirov from CITUB.

The main emphasis of the program was the results of a study on the risk factors for occupational cancer in Europe, presented by state expert Darina Konova (MLSP). She outlined the main carcinogenic substances and indicated ways to identify and control them.

According to the study, the ten most common risk factors workers are exposed to are solar UV radiation, diesel emissions, benzene, respirable crystalline silica, hexavalent chromium, formaldehyde, lead, wood dust, artificial UV radiation, and nickel. Among the sectors most frequently exposed to risk factors are mining activities, construction, furniture manufacturing, repairs of computer equipment and household items, water transport, fisheries and forestry, leather processing, according to a study conducted among over 24 thousand workers from 6 countries in the EU.

Raina Georgieva, senior OHS expert at CITUB, presented the latest changes in the Roadmap of carcinogens, which aims to systematically reduce workers' exposure and encourage the elimination of carcinogens. She reminded that to protect workers from exposure to cancer-causing agents, the EU has a specialized Directive concerning the protection of workers from risks related to exposure to carcinogens, mutagens, or toxic to reproduction substances at work (Directive 2004/37/EC).

During the conference, funding opportunities for safety measures through the 'Working Conditions Fund' were discussed, presented by executive director Violeta Dobreva, as well as the challenges for safe working conditions in land transport, presented by expert Vladimir Vladimirov. The chairman of FTTU Alexander Shopov also participated in the conference.

On the second day, FTTU's lawyer - Nikolay Stoyanov explained the procedures for declaring a legal strike, the procedures for concluding a Collective Labor Agreement (CLA), and the method of cumulative calculation of working time. The participants had the opportunity to ask questions and discuss practical cases from their enterprises.