ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the development of industrial relations in Bulgarian enterprises, and discusses the contextual pressures, influences and interdependencies accompanying the process of transformation of society. The selection of particular enterprises for the case studies was a difficult task under the conditions in Bulgaria, because the anticipated process of privatization has been repeatedly delayed. In Bulgaria the development of legal regulation has been a contentious issue dependent upon the political process which, since 1989, has been very turbulent. Trade unions have tried to play an active role and provide proposals, but final decisions have been a government responsibility. Characteristic features of post-communist Bulgaria are the uncertainty of executive power and frequent political crises, which have limited the scope and the depth of reforms. Compared to the other eastern European countries, economic reform in Bulgaria started quite late and its active lifespan was quite short.
