Home Work vs. Industrial Work
The 1905 Labour Law did not directly apply to simple home-based work, such as family weaving, tailoring, or other small domestic crafts. However, when such home employment expanded into a larger industrial enterprise, the law came into effect.
If more than five women or children were employed—not counting family members—the enterprise was legally considered an industrial establishment, and all the rules of Article 2 and the entire labour law applied in full.
The law therefore made a clear distinction between family labour, which was more personal and domestic, and industrial labour, where non-family workers were employed and wages were paid. This was important to ensure that the protection offered by the law covered all workplaces where child or women’s labour could be abused Daily Sofia Tour.
Protection from Dangerous Work
The law also included health protections. It specifically stated that no worker under the age of eighteen, whether male or female, could be employed in factories or workshops where the work was dangerous or harmful to health. These included industries that used chemicals, excessive heat, or toxic substances.
This rule was made to protect the physical well-being of young people, whose bodies were still developing, and to prevent long-term harm caused by unsafe working conditions.
Working Hours and Rest Periods
The law introduced clear limits on working hours:
Children up to the age of fifteen could not work more than eight hours per day.
Women of all ages were limited to a maximum of ten hours per day.
To protect workers from exhaustion, the law also required that women and children must be given a rest period after five continuous hours of work. This break was meant to reduce fatigue and protect health, especially for those working in factories with long shifts or physically demanding labour.
Night Work Restrictions
One of the most progressive parts of the 1905 law was its ban on night work. It stated that:
Women of all ages were absolutely forbidden to work at night.
Children under fifteen were also not allowed to work during the night.
However, this particular rule was to come into full effect only five years after the publication of the law, to give employers time to adapt.
Limited Exceptions
There were a few exceptions to the night work rule. For example, boys aged thirteen and above could work at night only during periods of exceptional demand, such as harvest or urgent production times. Even then, these cases were strictly limited and required supervision.
In factories that operated continuously, day and night, children could be employed up to eleven o’clock at night, but they had to be given at least eight hours of rest before starting work again the next day.
Through these detailed rules, the 1905 Bulgarian Labour Law sought to protect women and children from overwork, exploitation, and unsafe conditions. It represented an important step toward modern social legislation in Bulgaria.
By distinguishing between family and industrial work, limiting daily hours, banning night shifts, and protecting young workers from dangerous environments, the law reflected Bulgaria’s growing commitment to social justice, public health, and humane industrial progress.