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Bulgarian transport trade union FTTUB runs a week-long campaign in protest to the 86-hour working week for lorry drivers

3 March 2010

TitleTitleTitleDuring the period 24 February – 03 March, the Federation of Transport Trade Unions in Bulgaria (FTTUB-CITUB) ran a massive public campaign against long working hours for professional drivers. In focus, the EU plans to abolish working time limits for professional drivers. Under the slogan "Reject the 84-86 hour work week for professional drivers", the campaign targeted the public at large, parents and children, pedestrians, citizens of main Bulgarian urban centres. Its aim is to strengthen the public understanding of the nature of drivers’ profession and the dangers - to the road safety - arising from their accumulated fatigue.

Actions undertaken by FTTUB:

The campaign started with a press conference;
During the action week the buses of the urban public transport in Sofia, Varna, Bourgas and Rousse were decorated with posters aiming to inform the public of the future road safety risks related to the EU project to change the EU working time Directive and abolish limits to working hours for certain categories of drivers;
In Sofia, many leaflets and posters were distributed in metropolitan schools and kindergartens. Activists from FTTUB attended primary and secondary school classes and informed pupils and students about road safety and the risk on driver’s fatigue. They stressed on the increase need of being careful when crossing the streets;
FTTUB attracted many NGOs’ who supported the trade union campaign;
FTTUB took part in the Sofia City Council Transport Commission and the National Assembly Transport Commission where trade union President Ekaterina Yordanova presented the statement of the European Transport Workers’ Federation concerning trade union opposition to the 86-hour working week for professional drivers;
Letters by the ETF and FTTUB were sent out to the Bulgarian MEP-s, most of them replied in support to the campaign;
Letters by the ETF and FTTUB were sent to the National employers’ organizations;
Meetings with the Minister of Transport and the Vice Minister of transport have been appointed.

The campaign was widely covered by the Bulgarian web media – over 40 news articles about the campaign were published. A television interview was conducted with FTTUB, which was broadcasted on Saturday (27.02.2010) in the central news on BTV (one of the most watched televisions in Bulgaria).

FTTUB national campaign has benefited by great support from the public and we can conclude that the campaign has been very successful.

To see pictures of this campaign, click here.

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