BRATISLAVA, July 11, (WEBNOVINY) — At the beginning of the third week of its 20th session of this election term, the Slovak Parliament came together to continue the interrupted debate on the Cabinet’s draft amendment to the Labor Code. The coalition proposes changes that it hopes to make the labor market more flexible. The opposition and trade unionists however insist that the suggested measures only support employers in exerting more pressure on employees. Ruling coalition MPs believe that only freeing employers’ hands will help reduce unemployment. Parliament is not expected to vote in the course of Monday.
Deputies from the Ordinary People movement have tabled their own conditions for their support to the amended Labor Code. They want to preserve minimum wage entitlement, and also want that one of the reasons for notice to include also an entitlement to an old-age pension. They propose that an employee and an employer be allowed to agree upon provisions of financial contributions for a meal instead of meal vouchers, which are now mandatory. Such contributions would not be added to the tax base or the base for calculation of payroll levies. The Ordinary People lawmakers also want to let people have a day off on Monday or Friday instead of a state holiday which falls on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, which would allow them to have a longer weekend.
The Cabinet draft amendment to the Labor Code cancels concurrent eligibility of dismissed employees to sit out the period of notice and at the same time receive severance pay. The notice period should be cut from the minimum two months to one month with employment lasting less than a year. The current two-month notice period will apply to employees employed for at least one year and less than five years. Employees who work for the employer for at least five and maximum of ten years will be entitled to at least a three-month notice period. Employees who work in a company for ten to twenty years will be eligible to at least a four-month notice period and if the period of employment exceeds twenty years, the notice period should last for at least five months.
The session of parliament untraditionally convened already on Monday, as MPs want to complete their agenda as soon as possible to leave for the summer recess. The coalition also agreed to omit deputy drafts from the agenda of the ongoing session and parliament will thus deal only with government drafts. Therefore, the discussion on cancellation of parliamentary immunity from prosecution for minor offenses and the so-called Meciar’s amnesties will be re-opened in the second reading only in September. Also, the proposal to cut support for parents who do not work or the amendment to the constitution proposed by SMER-SD lawmakers prompted by the approval of the new Hungary’s constitution.
SITA
