BRATISLAVA, January 15, (WEBNOVINY) – The Trade Unions Confederation (KOZ) does not want to amend the Labor Code, KOZ President Miroslav Gazdik announced on air of the Slovak Radio Saturday. Trade unions have commenced a petition initiative in reaction to the changes to the Labor Code prepared by the Cabinet and this action is supposed to culminate in a referendum. In the political program Sobotne Dialogy (Saturday’s Dialogues), Gazdik underscored that the confederation was not so much willing to modify the Labor Code. In his words, representatives of trade unions have come up with suggestions to improve the labor law at the meeting of social partners. „The Cabinet failed to table a matter-of-fact proposal within the set term so we have repeatedly asked – and not only we but also employers – that the Labor Ministry presents its concepts; meanwhile we have been negotiating. But the opinions alone are differing to such a huge extent and the entire development leads to a concept pursued by some partners that they would do even without the Labor Code and that the Civil Code would be a sufficient norm within the labor legislation. And we, for God’s sake, cannot allow this,” complained Gazdik. He admitted that the only change trade unions would accept is a clearer definition of dependent work. “So that employers do not dodge employment relationship and do not turn it into a commercial one because they have been forcing numerous people to sole-proprietorship to get rid of payroll levies and shift the whole of this burden onto the employee,” claimed the KOZ President. He is hopeful that KOZ will collect the necessary 350,000 signatures to initiate a referendum about changes to the Labor Code. If the Cabinet really intends to introduce far-reaching changes to the Labor Code, the trade unions will insist on the popular vote. Gazdik is well aware of costs as well as of the pressure arising from this solution but has justified it with the effort to make the Cabinet realize a certain scope of responsibility. The situation will depend on the development of the petition initiative and results of talks. The three-question referendum should also decide on the working week reduction to 35 hours on simultaneous preservation of the present number of jobs.
Gazdik’s debate opponent, SaS deputy Jozef Kollar reminded that it was the party SMER-SD that has opened Pandora’s box in the past and pointed out that KOZ and SMER had signed an agreement. He is of the opinion that a cooperation agreement concluded between trade unions and a political party –regardless of whether it represents the ruling coalition or the opposition – is unambiguous evidence of politicizing the trade union. Kollar underscored that trade unions cannot be familiar with the final version of the amended Labor Code. “Neither do I know it at present. A working group which works on changes to the Labor Code has been established. Trade unions refused to participate in this group,” the SaS deputy noted. He called it absurd that KOZ has been negotiating the suggestion to cut short the working week with the Senior Citizens‘ Union. He accused the trade unions of trying to promote themselves by means of such initiative since the number of their members has shrunk significantly over the past years. “Nowadays they cluster about 300,000 members in their organizations; some time ago they had 2.4 million. Thus they are in decline, they need to be heard of again and mobilize. We are not going to backpedal,” countered Kollar.
SMER-SD deputy Peter Kazimir considers natural the collaboration between trade unions and a social-democratic party in any country. It is normal if the cooperation is based on some collaboration agreement that is made public. Kazimir has sided with trade unions and stated that no one has involved them in a serious debate after the talks with the government about the Cabinet’s austerity package in the autumn 2010. The deputy believes that trade unions have the right to organize a petition against changes to the Labor Code.
SITA