BRATISLAVA, April 27, (WEBNOVINY) — About two thousand trade unionists bought in by buses from all over Slovakia gathered in front of the Cabinet Office in Bratislava to protest against suggested changes to the Labor Code. Trade Unions Confederation (KOZ) Vice President Vladimir Mojs said in front of the protesters that provisions that are unacceptable for trade unionists were left in the draft amendment to the Labor Code despite the last week’s tripartite meeting. As an example, Mojs named deterioration in terms of temporary employment, cancellation of the concurrent eligibility to a notice period and severance pay or reduced protection of employees when they are to be laid off. Trade unionists also reproach the government for rescheduling its discussion on the draft Labor Code from Wednesday to Thursday.
Chairman of the opposition SMER-SD party Robert Fico thinks that the government of Iveta Radicova (SDKU-DS) deferred its Wednesday session to Thursday because it is afraid of Wednesday’s protest of trade unionists in front of the Cabinet Office. “There is no place for a government that is afraid of the people. If the Cabinet rescheduled its session only to prevent the face-off with people with a view different from the one of the right-center government, it is display of fear, which is inappropriate for the government,“ said ex-prime minister. Fico did not provide any evidence for his allegation that rescheduling of Cabinet’s session had anything to do with trade unionists‘ protest except for calling it evident and lacking any other serious reasons.
The Cabinet should discuss the draft amendment to the Labor Code on Thursday. Every employee should have a three-month trial period at maximum as it is at the moment. The only exception will apply to the managerial staff whose trial period could potentially last six months. The trial period of both groups can possibly be extended by additional three months, based on a collective agreement. The tabled amendment to the Labor Code quashes the currently effective concurrent entitlement to the notice period and drawing severance payment. The notice period will 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 amendment to the Labor Code preserves the automatic entitlement to a five-week paid leave for all employees older than 33. Provisions regulating employment for a definite period will also be revised. It will be possible to extend such employment relation three times at most, while the summation of temporary employment periods cannot exceed three years. Based on the currently effective legislation, the employment for a definite period can last maximum of two years while it can be extended or repeatedly arranged twice at most.
SITA