The Confederation of Labor „Podkrepa“ (KT „Podkrepa“) officially requested the preparation of a comprehensive functional analysis before undertaking any structural changes in the Social Assistance Agency (ASA).
The union's reaction was provoked by information that emerged about a large-scale reform that envisages a serious reduction in regional structures in the country.
Tension in the system and lack of dialogue
According to unofficial data, the discussed plan envisages a reduction in the number of regional social assistance directorates from the current 28 to only 6 or 7 regional centers. The Chairman of the Union of Administrative Employees at the KT „Podkrepa“ Kremena Atanasova told the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) that there is already serious tension among the agency's employees. She stressed that the trade unions have not been officially notified by the Minister of Labor and Social Policy Natalia Efremova about the planned restructuring.
The „Podkrepa“ trade union recalls that in previous statements of the organization (available on their official website - podkrepa.org) frontline employees have always borne the brunt of such optimizations. The trade unionists insist that the reforms should not be carried out „in pieces“, but that the real workload of the experts in the field should be taken into account.
The position of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy
The case also entered the parliament after the GERB-SDF MP Iliana Zhekova submitted an official question to the relevant ministry. In its written response, the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy (MLSP) confirms that various options for structural changes are currently being considered. However, the department specifies that there is no final decision yet, and a detailed functional analysis and broad consultations with stakeholders are still to be carried out.
At the moment, the official portal of the Social Assistance Agency (asp.government.bg) has not published additional details regarding the new territorial structure. However, the unions remain ready for action if the rights of workers in the sector are threatened without prior transparent talks.