BCCI has conducted training in health and safety at work with the experts in the Regional Chambers of Commerce and Industry (RCCIs)
As part of implementing its programme for increasing the knowledge and qualification of employees, BCCI has conducted a training session on "Health and Safety at Work" with its experts in the Regional Chambers of Commerce and Industry (RCCIs).
The topic of "New Amendments about Teleworking Made to the Labour Code" was presented by Chief Asst. Dr. Vlayko Vodenicharov, Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), Department of Epidemiology and Hygiene, Medical University of Sofia. He acquainted the participants with the EU regulatory frameworks. The EU Framework Agreement on Teleworking (2002), which is a starting point for the national legislation, and the collective bargaining in the EU were presented. Also, the training session addressed the regulation of teleworking in the EU Member States which is implemented in two main ways, namely legislative measures and social dialogue with collective bargaining.
It was noted that the Bulgarian legislation regulates teleworking and work from home (WFH) in the Labour Code. Special attention was paid to labour bargaining (the collective and individual one), work remuneration, collective rights, the provision by the employee of a space fixed as a workplace at home, the employer's obligations to provide technical equipment and its maintenance, etc. The lecturer presented amendments to the Labour Code about setting a specific location of the workplace, the provision of information by the employer to the employee on the minimum requirements for the Health and Safety at Work in the premises where teleworking is done, a written description of the characteristics of the working environment, made by the employee and given to the employer, the worker or employee right to an uninterrupted break, the mitigation of the employer's liability for any work accidents, to which the employee has contributed, and the calculation of the working hours.
Training of the experts was conducted also on the topic of “Working Conditions Fund - activities, purpose, project funding opportunities, conditions for application”. The participants were acquainted with the work of the Fund and its tasks to finance activities and events to improve the working conditions in accordance with the effective legislation of the Republic of Bulgaria under a programme, adopted by the National Council on Working Conditions, and approved by the Minister of Labour and Social Policy. The Fund finances projects of national, sectoral, branch and regional importance.
The BCCI experts in the RCCIs presented brief information on the state of the economy in the different regions of this country and on the most common problems for entrepreneurs when performing their activities.
A brush-up training session was run on the conditions and procedures for issuing foreign trade documents was conducted, including issues related to the Rules for Issuing Certificates of Origin, the requirements of the Customs Code and the regulations thereto. An accompanying topic for the participants was also the use of the option, introduced in the information system of the BCCI Unified Trade Register, of issuing electronic certificates of non-preferential origin of goods.