In five days 47 alerts about violations of labour and social insurance

During the first five days after its launch the „Into the Light“ initiative has received a total of 47 signed alerts about violations of labour, social-insurance and tax legislation, the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA) said in a press release Tuesday.

The largest number of alerts, 32, were about workers for whom social insurance contributions are paid on a minimum wage or a minimum contributory income. The second most numerous alerts, nine, are about failure to issue cash register receipts or other payment documents or about issuing false documents. Four alerts concern hiring of workers without employment contracts and, respectively, without social insurance, and about charged but unpaid wages and social insurance. The actual number of violations exceeds 47 because some of the alerts report multiple violations, the press release specifies.

Fifteen of the alerts are about manufacturing companies, 12 concern retail outlets and mass catering establishments, three are about tour operators, three about transport carriers, two about construction, two about telecommunications, and one each about the extractive industry, the canning industry, express courier services and dentistry.

Most alerts, 22, are about companies in Sofia, Plovdiv, Pleven, Varna, Bourgas, Nessebur and Pernik.

The National Revenue Agency and the General Labour Inspectorate have been approached for assistance in following up on the alerts.

The „Into the Light“ initiative, launched by the BIA on May 2, is intended to curb the shadow economy in Bulgaria by encouraging employers to report the actual amount of income paid to their employees. The campaign is supported by Bulgarian National Television, bTV, Nova Television, Bulgarian National Radio, Darik Radio, the dailies „Troud“, „24 Chassa“ and „Sega“, and the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association.

BTA