Slovenia
Background information on industrial relations in Slovenia
- 24 Apr 2012
Slovenia: Slovenia: Employment and Industrial Relations in the Hotels and RestaurantsHORECA plays an important role in the Slovenian economy employing 3, 8% of the Slovenian work force but, as a part of the tourism industry, creating about 12% of Slovenian GDP: It has a very distinctive seasonal component with a very high share of temporary and student workers. From value added and labour productivity perspectives, the tourism industry is less successful than the Slovenian economy on average but the strength of the tourism industry lies in its employment function and its indirect effects on development of underdeveloped areas, development of small and medium enterprises etc. It multiplicative factor is estimated at 1.8. All social partners agree that human factor is crucial for the success in the industry so since 2006 substantial efforts were made in the field of education, skill development and the promotion of jobs in the HORECA industry.
- 23 Apr 2012
Slovenia: Unions demand end to asset stripping buyoutsThe Union of Free Trade Unions of Slovenia (ZSSS) has demanded tougher legislation to stop firms being asset-stripped after management buyouts. ZSSS has written to parliament setting out its concerns about job losses and the destruction of companies. Some laws have been amended but unions insist further action is needed, including publication of a secret government report. Slovenia’s shares and security markets regulator recorded 215 buyouts between 1998 and 2010.
- 05 Apr 2012
Slovenia: Slovenia: The representativeness of trade unions and employers associations in the insurance sectorThe insurance sector in Slovenia is relatively small and highly concentrated, with the market share of former state-owned monopoly Triglav at about 40%. During 2004–2010 there was constant growth in terms of premiums for both life and non-life insurance. The number of employees reached 6,300 in 2009 with an additional 4,000 working in the sector as insurance agents. Social dialogue in the sector is thriving.
- 30 Mar 2012
Slovenia: New rescue hope for Primorje construction companyA decisive step was taken to rescue crisis-hit Slovenian construction company Primorje on 11 January 2012. The company's new CEO Marjana Novak presented trade unions with a new plan for the company and concluded a new collective agreement. The company had been on the verge of bankruptcy on 25 August 2011, but was thrown a lifeline when banks approved a six-month moratorium on Primorje’s debts. It is expected that 178 jobs will be lost when the company is restructured.
- 30 Mar 2012
Slovenia: Unions attack new subsidies for self-employmentThe Union of Free Trade Unions of Slovenia (ZSSS) has criticised an increase in funding by the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs for workers who want to become self-employed. The ZSSS claims that the ministry is promoting a precarious form of work, and that the ministry needs to focus on training for self-employed people. It also argues that the ministry is allowing the practice of bogus self-employment, which is rife in the construction sector, to go unchecked.
- 28 Mar 2012
Slovenia: Slovenia: The representativeness of trade unions and employer associations in the paper sectorThe paper sector makes up a very small part of Slovenia’s economy, accounting for just 1% of employment. The sector’s rate of collective bargaining coverage is 85% and the social partners – the representative trade union confederation and two representative employer associations – evaluate social dialogue as successful. In 2010 the social partners prolonged the existing collective agreement for the paper sector for a further year, and are currently negotiating a new sectoral wage agreement.
- 07 Mar 2012
Slovenia: Slovenia: The representativeness of trade unions and employer associations in the sea fisheries sectorIn Slovenia, the sea fisheries sector represents only 0.018 % of the added value created by the Slovenian economy, or 0.014 % of the GDP. In 2009, the Slovenian fisheries sector employed only 105 people, about 0.01% of the total number of people employed nationally. Nevertheless, fishing, aquaculture and processing and marketing provide vital employment at a regional level, especially in the coastal area. The marine fishing fleet consists of 185 vessels of which 90% are less than 12 metres long, with an average age of about 30 years. As most of the fishermen are self-employed, they are not well organised. However, dialogue about any vital issues is conducted with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food (MAFF).
- 23 Jan 2012
Slovenia: New party surprise winner of electionNew centre-left party Positive Slovenia emerged as the surprise winners of the country’s first snap election on 4 December 2011. The party, formed just weeks before the election, was led by the Mayor of Ljubljana, Zoran Jankovič. The result confounded expectations that the country would shift to the right after the centre-left Social Democrat government lost a confidence vote over its proposed economic and pension reforms and was forced to call an early election.
- 09 Jan 2012
Slovenia: Unions appeal to state as crisis in construction deepensConstruction work in Slovenia fell by 30% in 2011 – the biggest fall in this sector in EU, according to Eurostat. Unions are campaigning on behalf of construction workers who have been paid neither wages nor unemployment benefits for months and have no means of survival. Union confederation ZSSS blames their plight on inadequate insolvency legislation, and says poorly regulated management buyouts are making matters worse, leading to more bankruptcies and job losses.
- 09 Jan 2012
Slovenia: Unions want list of ‘bad’ employers to be made publicUnions are demanding that a register of ‘bad’ employers in Slovenia be made completely public. Laws require the Slovenian employment service to keep a list of firms which breach employment law by, for example, failing to pay workers’ wages or social security contributions, or who dismiss employees unfairly. A partial register is published, but records of tax evasion, and workers’ complaints are omitted. Officials say they do not want to damage these firms’ credit ratings.