The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-03-21
WHITE TERROR is
STILL. RAGING IN
BLACK BULGARIA
Employers Annull the
Working Agreements
BY N BORIC.

by y bOklC.
SOFIA Bulgaria is a country Of
severest White Terror. This terror,
which has now been raging for al
most four years has had countless
victims from among the Bulgarian
workers.
All the political and economic
gains won by the Bulgarian workers
in several decades have been swept
away. The workers are given up
wholesale to the violence of the en-
ployers. All collective agreements
regulating labour conditions have
been, thanks to the White Terror, an
nulled by the employers. Labour
conditions are simply dictated by the
employers.
Social Legislation has been reduced
to nil. There is no sort of super
vision Of the observation of the most
elementary rules of hygiene, in the
shops, factories, and works. No sort
Of medical aid for workers and their
families exists. Female and child la
bour is exploited unlimitedly. The
eight hour day established by law on
June oath, 1919, is not observed.
Work Long Hours.
The textile workers in Slivna and
Gabrovo, the sugar-refinery workers
in Gonna Orehovitza, Plovdiva, Russo
and Cayala, the leather workers in
Gabrovo and Sofia, the miners in
Pernick, Plakalnitza and other state
and private mines, work 9, 10 and
more hours. Bakers, walters and
other workers work ID and Is hours.
Printers, and 10 hours.
The employers are also striving to
prolong the Saturday hour day in
industrial and other enterprises, to s
hours. The handicraft workers, sew
ing machinists and shoemakers work
II and IA hours, woodworkers and
metal workers, 10 and u hours. Ag-
ricultural and forest-workers, ID. 16
and more. Sunday and holidays are
often not observed as days of rest.
Unemployment continues to increase,
the number of unemployed exceeding
10000, almost one-third Of all the
workers in Bulgaria.
Appealing Condition.
The condition Of the unemployed
is appalling. The government af-
ford no help whatever to the unem-
ployed and is taking no resolute
measures to prevent unemployment.
The daily press frequently reports
instances of suicide among unem-
ployed. Wages area incredibly low
and seldom come up to 1870 per
cent. of pre-war.
Workers actively struggling for
the raising Of wages in correspond
ence with the cost of living, the re-
vival of the s hour day and the OBJ
servation of labour legislation, are
bounded by the police authorities.
The strike of the workers in the Dre-
novo coach-building works last year
was suppressed by the police. The
same fate overlook the strike of to-
bacco workers in Vratza and Sofia.
The leather workers who went on
olAAnN III oO1ld 4dol wear were also
driven off and beaten by the police.
The workers in the court printeries.
striking for the conditions in which
they worked up to the 9Th of Janu-
airy of this year were twice arrested
by the police.
D The revolutionary trade unions,
embracing before the Terror began
9Th of June, 1929 more than $4,000
members, were dispersed and every
attempt to revive them was severely
suppressed by the police.
The reformist trade union move
ment, whose leaders have gone over
wholesale to the government of
White Terror have lost all influence
over the workers. Instead of the
dispersed revolutionary trade unions,
independent unions have been organ
lied by the workers themselves.
These are increasing and getting
stronger both in the struggle against
the White Terror and against its
flunkeys, the reformist leaders.