Nearly one million people in Bulgaria cannot afford even a week's vacation, according to the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria (CITUB). This announcement is based on an analysis by the European Trade Union Institute of the European Confederation of Trade Unions.

The analysis reveals that 40 million workers, or 15% of all workers in the EU, cannot afford a week's holiday away from home, either domestically or abroad. This number has increased by nearly 2 million in one year.

Bulgaria is among the countries with the largest increase in people for whom a vacation is a luxury. Data shows that in 2022, over 957,000 working Bulgarians found a one-week holiday unattainable, marking an increase of over 2% compared to the previous year.

France has seen the biggest rise in "holiday poverty," with nearly 1,000,000 more workers, a 2.5% increase, unable to afford a vacation. Romania, Cyprus, and Greece also have significant portions of their workforce, one in three and one in four respectively, unable to afford holidays.

The European Trade Union Confederation warns that 2023 figures could be even worse due to last summer's record rise in holiday prices and falling real wages across the EU due to inflation. They emphasize that collective bargaining not only ensures fairer pay but also provides workers with up to two weeks more vacation time each year.

The recently adopted Minimum Wage Directive mandates that all Member States ensure at least 80% of workers are covered by collective agreements. The deadline for incorporating the Directive into national legislation is November 15.