Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

The establishment of an Advisory Safety Committee to the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications is established

The established Advisory Committee on Safety to the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications includes all trade unions in the railway sector, along with the managements of both railway companies.  The aim of the Committee is to conduct permanent monitoring and control of the implementation of the immediate, medium and long-term measures for improvement of working conditions and enhancement of railway safety that were presented today. The Committee will ensure the consistency in their implementation by the management and staff of "Holding Bulgarian State Railways" EAD and SE NRIC. That was the joint decision of all participants in today's meeting as they obligated themselves to report in front of the Committee on implementation and results of measures taken by both railway companies. Representatives of private rail companies will also be invited to join the Committee. The first meeting of the Advisory Committee will be held next month.

The trade unions have approved all the proposed measures to improve working conditions in the sector, enhance safety, as well as specific timetables for effective training of operations personnel in the railways. They were adamant that the measures are a good start and that they appreciate the efforts made by both companies. Minister Angelkova stressed that she will continue to rely on constructive dialogue with social partners and that she is certain that all measures will be implemented by them.

Moreover, according to her, continuity, specific measures and reasonable responsibility are required in order to fulfill the strategy for rescuing the state railway carrier, because it is in direct relation to the infrastructure manager. It is important to observe the arrangements and requirements of the regulations by all parties - management, staff and employees, and, where appropriate, for unfinished business, to assume appropriate responsibility, added Nikolina Angelkova.

Minister Angelkova informed the participants of the meeting for the discussed possibility that in the next programming period of OP "Human Resources" railway companies could apply for projects on education and training, as well as for the purchase of clothing, stressing once again that operational staff is the backbone of the railroad and the future of the industry depends on its qualification.

Holding BDZ EAD and National Railway Infrastructure Company presented to Minster Angelkova, Deputy Minister Georgi Todorov, the management of EA Railway Agency and representatives of the trade unions, the immediate, mid-term and long-term measures that will result in improving the effectiveness of the working process and railway transport safety in both companies. The actions, stakeholders and deadlines have been discussed by the railway carrier and the infrastructure manager. “In the last two weeks we have seen considerable improvement of the coordination between the two enterprises and I am positive this trend will continue in the future”, commented Minister Angelkova.  

In order to implement the immediate measures no additional financial resources are needed and they have already been implemented at a 100 % in both railway companies. Among them are the following:

• Increase of everyday staff control that is directly related safety of railway traffic and infrastructure;
• Immediate and regular inspections of the train managing radio connection and automated train signaling;
• Additional training and regular testing on the work with equipment and train signaling and radio connections;
• Additional training and checks of the skills of exploitation personnel to work in emergency situations;
• The train traffic schedule at stations with isolated provisional equipment dos not provide for the simultaneous train entering and exiting;
• Heads of railway stations facilitate and control staff for the provision of regular train traffic;
• There are two switch operators at stations with isolated provisional equipment and trains move at the speed of 25 km/h at the station entrance and exit;
• During holidays and weekends, employees with control functions carry out the work inspections on the works at railway station;
• In railway stations equipped with automated locomotive signaling locomotives with the same equipment will be used;
• Deployment of a systematic approach when planning and carrying out repairs on the available rolling stock;
• Internal audit of the safety systems;
• Regular meetings to discuss the compliance with the regulations on the execution of duties;
• Regular meetings between the safety control units of the two companies.

Mid-term and long-term measures of Holding BDZ and NRIC are laid in the business plans of the two companies for 2015 with the financial resource provided. The long-term measures concern the purchase of new rolling stock and repairs of the railway infrastructure.

Minister Nikolina Angelkova called for compliance with the common position and said that she hopes that “the cooperation we founded today will remain stable in the future”.

Trade unions were represented by Ekaterina Yordanova - President of the Federation of Transport Trade Unions in Bulgaria to the Confederation of the Independent Unions in Bulgaria, Peter Bunev - Chairman of the Trade Union of Railwaymen in Bulgaria to the Confederation, Rosen Zarkov - President of the Federation of Transport Workers, Zorincho Yordanov - Chairman of the National Railroad Union to the Labour Confederation, and Georgi Manolov - Chairman of the Trade Union of Railway Staff in Bulgaria.