May 1 reminds us of the bold strike of US trade unions in 1886, when more than 300,000 workers requested an 8-hour work day. On this date in Bulgaria and in many countries around the world, the workers' movement merits for state protection of the rights and interests of workers in every sphere, is being celebrated.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) is one of the oldest organizations established in 1919 with the aim to support social peace and justice. It is the only universal tripartite world organization of its kind, involving representatives of governments, employers and trade unions. Bulgaria is among the first members of the ILO and is among the top 10 countries that have ratified over 100 human rights conventions in the field of labor. For nearly 100 years this country has been involved in ILO’s work without a pause, despite the vicissitudes in its political and social development. In the special cooperation program signed between the organization and Bulgaria, a focus is put on fundamental areas such as principles and rights at work, employment, social protection and social dialogue. The 100th Anniversary of the ILO has been recently marked in Sofia with a solemn meeting of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation. Among the guests was Maurizio Bussi, Deputy Regional Director of the organisation for Europe and Central Asia.

"Reducing inequality and increasing social justice are global issues that require bold decisions at a global level," the guest said. “There is a need to support people in transition, to work towards gender equality and less discrimination. If women continue to bear the burden of household and family in the future, they cannot catch up with men. One country's GDP growth is no longer an indicator of labor productivity. "

Last but not least, Maurizio Bussi pointed out that workers themselves should be more involved in managing working and rest time. It is important for technology to help people in their goal for decent work conditions. In this regard, the new position of the worker in the process of digitization and automation will be discussed at an upcoming international trade union meeting in June.

"If you want peace, create justice" – these words by the first ILO head Albert Thomas Toma in 1920 continue to be valid today and point out the goals of the organization", Deputy Prime Minister Mariana Nikolova said and added that the membership of Bulgaria in the ILO is extremely valuable because of the possibilities to use the organization's in-depth expertise.

Working conditions have a direct effect on workers' safety and comfort. The obligation to ensure safe working conditions belongs to employers. Is this the reality? A poll among workers from Sofia in a thread factory showed that the foreign employer had taken all the safety measures there:

"We use gloves, safety glasses, dust masks, ear protectors, and anti-slip shoes. They are now introducing anti-splash protection shields from dyeing machines. We do not have to work extra hours in our workshop and keep to eight hours a day.”

Construction sites are one of the most risky places for workers. A construction worker from Sofia, called Victor, told us about his safety equipment:

“You have to wear appropriate shoes, helmet, gloves, glasses, depending on what you do. Today we are working on the ground floor and we don’t need a helmet, but we still need gloves, shoes. In our company rules are respected. If someone gets hurt, we call an ambulance or drive him to the hospital.”

English: Alexander Markov