Balgarianovinite.com A major change to labour legislation is being introduced through the transitional and final provisions of the 2026 State Budget Act, with no public consultation and not considering the opinions and positions of trade unions, employers and workers, Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva said in a television interview on Thursday.
Delcheva said the definition of the rules on calculating length of service is too wide in scope and likely to create uncertainty among members of the public.
On Wednesday, Delcheva asked the Constitutional Court (CC) to rule certain provisions of the 2026 State Budget Act concerning the freeze on the minimum wage and hours-based calculation of the length of service unconstitutional. Later the same day, acting on that request, CC opened proceedings.
Delcheva said an analysis should be carried out to determine whether the amendments are proportionate to their stated aim, given the lack of reasoning and a preliminary impact assessment. She added that “no reasons have been provided, and changes requiring separate and careful scrutiny are being introduced through a misuse of legislative technique”.
Delcheva said the CC is staffed by responsible professionals and, although its proceedings are known to take longer, they will take into account that this is a budget law that has been in force for a year. She expects CC to recognize that the legislative amendments require a swift ruling, as their effects will continue to apply.
Delcheva said the current wording fails to distinguish between length of service, working time and contributory service. Working time is the period during which a person is required to work, she said, adding that there can be no unfairness between people working eight hours and those working four, as pay is based on hours worked.
Length of service reflects experience gained in employment and is the calendar period during which a person is in an employment relationship with an employer, giving rise to additional rights, Delcheva said.
Responding to a question on whether people working four-hour days are the most vulnerable or whether some are part of the shadow economy, Delcheva said there are better ways to tackle undeclared work. Contributory service should not be confused with length of service either, as it is determined on the basis of social security contributions paid.
She cited maternity leave and paid annual leave as examples of periods recognized as both length of service and contributory service even though no work is actually performed.
Regarding the minimum wage, Delcheva said there is no clarity as to when a new mechanism for calculating it will be introduced. On July 24, Parliament decided that a new mechanism should be developed for setting the national minimum wage and that, until then, it should remain at its 2026 level of EUR 620. Major Change to Labour Legislation Introduced without Public Consultation, Ombudsman Says 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-08-06 08:49:50 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law