BRATISLAVA, July 10, (WEBNOVINY) – The twentieth parliamentary session in the current elect term to continue on Monday morning is likely to bring a heated debate of the coalition and opposition deputies on the new wording of the Labor Code. The ruling coalition quartet wants to make the Labor Code more flexible, which the opposition social democrats together with unions see as increasing the pressure from the part of employers on employees. The coalition deputies believe that a more flexible Labor Code will help reduce the unemployment rate.
The group Ordinary People, elected to Parliament on the candidate list of the ruling coalition member the SaS party, will support the government draft Labor Code revision provided that parliament passes their four requirements. Their leader, Igor Matovic, said that the first demand is to preserve minimum wage entitlements. The lawmakers further condition their support for the revision by defining the entitlement to an old-age pension as a reason for notice. They propose that an employee and an employer be allowed to agree upon provisions of financial contributions for a meal instead of meal vouchers. Such contributions would not be added to the tax base or the base for calculation of payroll levies. Finally, Ordinary People wants to allow employees to take a day off on Monday or Friday when holidays fall on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.
The government draft amendment to the Labor Code cancels concurrent eligibility of dismissed employees to sit out the period of notice and 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.
Justice Minister Lucia Zitnanska is to defend before the plenum a revision to the Penal Order and Penal Code, based on which stricter rules to excuse absence of witnesses and the accused from court proceedings should be enacted.
SITA