site.btaUPDATED CITUB Supports National Plan for Fair Green and Digital Transition

On Monday, at the opening of the national conference "A Working Bulgaria for the Future of Labour", organized by the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB), CITUB President Plamen Dimitrov said that a national plan for a fair green and digital transition is needed, combining all policies and strategies in the environment, industry, transport, agriculture - sectors that will experience much greater problems if not managed horizontally. The forum had guests from 23 countries, representing trade union confederations.

The CITUB conference took place in three panels, focusing on three of the most important priorities, and setting about 30 goals for the future. Among them are finding a balance between climate action, industrial modernization, and the just transition in Bulgaria, to be achieved through the joint efforts of the social partners to attract high-tech industries, innovation and build supply chains.

"We have a chance," said Dimitrov, noting that Bulgaria will receive some 25 billion euro in grants in the next 5-7 years and using these funds is only way to make this green and digital transition fair. "That is why we insist that the national plan for a fair transition include all possible components," said the President of CITUB. According to him, the best way to make this happen is to unite the efforts of the European trade unionists so that the process becomes transparent and manageable, so that new technologies can come with this money.

"We will oppose all attempts to cut jobs in this transition without sitting down and agreeing on how to do it," Dimitrov said.

When it comes to the digital transition, the CITUB stressed on two points - firstly, a universal guarantee of labour, which will be for all workers, regardless of their contractual relationship. Secondly, CITUB insists that  the management of the whole process be shared publicly.

Dimitrov pointed out that the main challenge, apart from the war, for Bulgaria and the region is green and digital transformation. He stressed that the green and digital transition must be bearable and fair.

The conference was attended by ministers, MPs, MEPs, as well as Sharan Barrow, Secretary General of the International Trade Union Confederation.