Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1996, published 85th ILC session (1997)

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Bulgaria (Ratification: 1932)

With reference to its observation, the Committee asks the Government to provide, in its next report, additional information on the following points:

1. The Committee notes the provision of section 128(2) of the Law on the Defence and Armed Forces, according to which career servicemen who concluded a contract on career military service under section 112 of this Law (i.e. former conscripts who are entitled to conclude such a contract during the first 12 months of their compulsory service) are excluded from the application of section 128(1) of the Law, which provides for a possibility for career servicemen to leave the service at their own request:

The Committee would appreciate it if the Government would specify the conditions of leaving the service at their own request for this category of career servicemen, either at certain reasonable intervals or by means of notice of reasonable length, and supply copies of relevant provisions.

2. Please also indicate whether a possibility to undergo an alternative service instead of compulsory military service, provided for in section 84 of the above-mentioned Law, may be used only at the request of a person concerned.