The Minister of Economy assures the trade unions that VMZ EAD will definitely not be privatized.
The Minister of Economy and Industry, Petar Dilov, held a working meeting with the President of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB), Plamen Dimitrov, and representatives of the trade union’s branch organizations.
During the meeting, the parties agreed to resume the work of the sectoral councils for tripartite cooperation at the Ministry of Economy and Industry. The aim is to form common positions on the development of industry in the country, along with employers. The sectoral councils are related to the chemical industry, metallurgy, machine building, light industry and others.
The participants in the meeting emphasized the importance of social dialogue and the role of the sectoral councils as a place to discuss the challenges that the Bulgarian industry faces, as well as to to enhance its competitiveness – a key factor for economic development and job creation.
It was also agreed that the councils should meet regularly to be as effective as possible. The need to update their composition and rules of procedure was also discussed.
The trade unions also raised the issue of including their representatives in the working groups within the Ministry of Economy and Industry that are preparing the new National Industrial Strategy for the manufacturing and extraction industries. The strategy, which is fully funded by the EC, will reflect the main points of EU-level policy and will aim to help Bulgarian enterprises increase their competitiveness and meet the challenges of the transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient and digitized economy.
The meeting also discussed topics related to the EC initiative, the Clean Industrial Deal, and the digital transformation of the manufacturing sector. Emphasis was placed on the European defence industry reinforcement through common procurement act (EDIRPA), as well as the enormous potential it offers for the technological modernization of the defence industry was highlighted.
The parties agreed that the Bulgarian defence industry has a solid foundation for development and plays a key role in the economy. It can be used to develop new production facilities and create additional jobs.
In response to a question from the trade unions about the future of VMZ – Sopot EAD, Minister Dilov categorically stated that there are no plans to privatize the enterprise and that the information being circulated in this regard is speculative. He stressed that VMZ is a structural enterprise for the military-industrial complex and plays a significant role both for national security and for the country’s economy. According to him, maintaining full state ownership in it guarantees the state’s presence in strategic markets.
The meeting also discussed Bulgaria’s accession process to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), as well as the transformation of state-owned enterprises as part of this process.