The role of the Bulgarian trade unions in the decommodification of labour in the post-communist labour market reform process . What outcomes in the context of the recent economic and social crisis?

This contribution aims at analyzing the positions of the Bulgarian trade unions during the establishment and the implementation of the anti-crisis measures package concluded in March 2010, in particular with regard to the role of the State. One of the conclusions of the European Commission Industrial relations 2010 report tackles the economic and the institutional “input” of the current crisis in determining social partners’ policy viewpoint. On the one hand, findings hightlight that the economic “input” aspects appear to have “overwhelmed substantial divergence in “institutional” arrangements and policy disagreement has predominated.” On the other hand, a considerable degree of policy consensus between social partner organizations both in “old” and in “new” member states seems to exist. (EC, Industrial relations in Europe report 2010: 79). To understand these current developments in Central and Eastern European countries, one should consider the specific institutional involvement of the State in tripartite and even bipartite arrangements and, at the same time, the external pressure from IFIs. On the one hand, as Kohl and Platzer state, the CEECs’ model of industrial relation is a kind of “transitional model“ wherein a particular path-dependant “etatist features” has emerged. (Kohl and Platzer 2007: 614). On the other hand, the ideational influence of international epistemic communities and ideational change, shaping welfare politics and policies in these countries, should also be analysed. (Fultz 2002; Müller 2003; Orenstein & Rutkowski 2003). In this vein, an important question one can ask is how, between external pressure and domestic legacies, particular actors rebuilt and reshaped particular Welfare institutions after 1989 in these countries? Consequently the present contribution proposes a focal point on the role of the Bulgarian trade unions in the agenda-setting, the implementation and the evolution of the anti-crisis reform package elaborated jointly with the Bulgarian government in March 2010 and in particular concerning the labour market reform measures. In order to understand these recent developments, the role Bulgarian trade unions played in the decommodification of labour during the political and economic transition by concentrating on key moments of labour market reforms is going to be examined. The research methodology is based on examining the main legislation on the topic during the two decades after 1989, on the analysis of the key (tripartite) negotiations and on semi-structured interviews with main stakeholders.