In recent days, the chairman of FTTU, Eng. Aleksandar Shopov, together with the vice-president Ognyan Atanasov, visited the working bases and facilities in "Metropolitan" EAD and "Stolichen Elektrotransport" EAD.

The audit in "Stolichen Elektrotransport" EAD was carried out in implementation of the agreement between CITUB and the General Labour Inspectorate (GLI), with representatives of the inspectorate also taking part, who made an immediate assessment of the working environment and working conditions on site.

The visits established an urgent need for carrying out repair work and an overall improvement of the living conditions of the employees. There is a need for:

• repair and renovation of bathrooms and utility rooms;

• refreshing and modernizing of workspaces;

• replacement of worn-out window frames;

• provision of new furniture, including chairs;

• improvement of rest rooms.

The real picture, however, is even more worrying. In some of the bases, working conditions are shocking. These are not isolated omissions, but the result of years of systematic postponement of decisions and a lack of consistent investment policy in the working environment. The problems have not arisen yesterday – they have been accumulating for years and today are already critical.

The Executive Directors of "Metropolitan" EAD and "Stolichen Elektrotransport" EAD committed, jointly with FTTU, to prepare and submit project proposals to the "Working Conditions" Fund, aimed at specific measures to improve working conditions, reduce professional risks, and increase safety and health at work.

At the end of 2024, the Sofia Municipal Council allocated BGN 15 million for improving working conditions in "Stolichen Avtotransport" EAD and "Stolichen Elektrotransport" EAD, but these funds are extremely insufficient compared to the actual needs, and at currently only a part of them has been secured. This funding cannot compensate for decades of underinvestment and neglect of the working environment.

Particularly worrying is the fact that the "Obelya" depot and the first sections of the metro were put into operation back in 1998 – more than 25 years later, it is unacceptable that the working environment and utility rooms have not undergone a thorough modernization in line with modern standards.

If urgent and real measures are not taken now, "Metropolitan" will follow the fate of other transport companies, where serious personnel problems and a permanently deteriorated working environment are already observed.

Poor working conditions are not just an aesthetic problem. They lead to:

• increased risk to the health and safety of workers;

• demotivation and professional burnout;

• increased number of sick leaves;

• turnover and departure of experienced staff;

• inability to attract young specialists.

There is no way to attract a young person to start working with worn-out hardware, poor living conditions, and unattractive pay. And when the feeling of lack of perspective and support is added to this, leaving becomes a logical choice. Thus, the system is gradually drained of blood, and the risk to the sustainability of public transport increases.

Federation of Transport Trade Unions will not limit itself to these visits. More audits are forthcoming in various bases and facilities in the sector in order to prepare a complete and objective picture of the working conditions. The results will be publicly announced.

FTTU will continue to insist on:

• providing adequate and targeted funding;

• concrete commitments with clear deadlines for implementation;

• real control over the implementation of maintenance and investment programs;

• long-term strategy for improving the working environment in the entire sector.

In the absence of adequate actions, we will inform the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) and European trade union organizations about the state of workplaces in Bulgaria. It is unacceptable in a European capital for public transport workers to work in conditions that do not meet modern safety and dignity requirements.

Dignity of labour can tolerate no further delay. Real decisions are needed – now!