Cziria, Ludovít
Employers oppose new collective agreement extension rules
19 Spalis 2008
Amendments to Act No. 328/2007 on collective bargaining [1] changed the rules
for the extension of multi-employer collective agreements (*SK0708019I* [2]).
Under the previous provisions, the extension of collective agreements
required the consent of the employer concerned. In many cases, employers did
not agree to the extension and, as a result, the number of extended
multi-employer collective agreements has been extremely small in Slovakia in
the last four years. However, the amended law provides that each
multi-employer collective agreement should be categorised in line with the
Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community
(NACE Rev 1 (523Kb PDF) [3] and that its extension may be applied to
employers whose prevailing business activity falls within the respective NACE
code.
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/collective-bargaining
[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/legislation-amended-to-extend-collective-agreements
[3] http://circa.europa.eu/irc/dsis/bmethods/info/data/new/classifications/nace_en.pdf
EWCs in the new Member States - Case study: Volkswagen
15 Spalis 2008
The Volkswagen group, with headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany, is one of the leading car manufacturers in the world, with a share in global passenger car production in 2005 of 9% (5.2 million passenger car vehicles), making the company the world’s fourth largest car producer. This case study is based on interviews carried out in the Czech Republic and Slovakia between March and June 2006 with national members of the Volkswagen EWC in both countries, as well as with management representatives. Founded in 1990, the European Volkswagen Group Works Council was established even before the EU Directive on European Works Councils came into force.
EWCs in the new Member States - Case study: Deutsche Telekom
15 Spalis 2008
Deutsche Telekom is one of the four largest telecommunication companies in the world and a strong global player in this industry. This case study is based on interviews carried out in Slovakia and Hungary between March and June 2006 with both EWC members and management representatives. In addition, an interview was carried out with a representative of the Deutsche Telekom EWC Secretariat in Bonn, Germany. The Deutsche Telekom EWC was established in June 2004.
Employer group for transport and post returns to national tripartism
07 Rugpjūtis 2008
In April 2007, the Association of Employers of Transport, Post and
Telecommunications (Zväz zamestnávateľov dopravy, pôšt a
telekomunikácií Slovenskej republiky, ZZDPT SR) left the national-level
employer organisation the National Union of Employers (Republiková únia
zamestnávateľov Slovenskej republiky, RÚZ SR [1]). At the same time, ZZDPT
SR was renamed as the Union of Employers of Transport, Post and
Telecommunications (Únia dopravy, pôšt a telekomunikácií Slovenskej
republiky, ÚDPT SR [2]). The separation of ÚDPT SR from RÚZ SR had serious
consequences for its participation in the national tripartite social
dialogue. According to the statute of the tripartite Economic and Social
Council (Hospodárska a sociálna rada, HSR), only employer organisations
which represent at least 100,000 employees are entitled to participate in the
HSR; the same regulation applies to trade unions. As ÚDPT SR did not comply
with this criterion, it lost the right to participate in national tripartism.
[1] http://www.ruzsr.sk/
[2] http://www.udpt.sk/
Specialist doctors organise protest against low income
08 Liepa 2008
In recent years, healthcare workers in Slovakia have organised several
industrial actions in protest against the low wage level in the sector
(*SK0605029I* [1], *SK0705039I* [2]). On 30 May 2008, the President of the
Slovak Union of Medical Specialists (Slovenská lekárska únia
špecialistov, SLÚŠ [3]), Andrej Janco, appealed to all healthcare workers
to organise, as a joint protest action, a ‘/Health day of healthcare
workers’/. With this action day, they would show their dissatisfaction with
their current income levels.
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/hospital-workers-strike-over-pay-and-overtime
[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/strike-alert-in-healthcare-sector-due-to-low-wages
[3] http://www.slus.sk/
Social partners reach consensus on euro implementation
02 Birželis 2008
On 7 May 2008, after approving Slovakia’s euro bid, the European Commission
recommended that the euro be implemented in the country from 1 January 2009.
This will make Slovakia the sixteenth nation to adopt the euro. As a result,
the Slovak government has been discussing entering the euro zone with
representatives of the social partners and the various municipalities
throughout the country. These discussions resulted in the conclusion of a
declaration on consensus regarding the implementation of the euro in
Slovakia. The declaration was signed in January 2008 by Slovakia’s Prime
Minister, Róbert Fico, along with the President of the National Union of
Employers (Republiková únia zamestnávateľov Slovenskej republiky, RUZ SR
[1]), Marián Jusko, the President of the Federation of Employers Association
(Asociácia zamestnávateľských zväzov a združení Slovenskej republiky,
AZZZ SR [2]), Tomáš Malatinský, the President of the Slovakian
Confederation of Trade Unions (Konfederácia odborových zväzov Slovenskej
republiky, KOZ SR [3]), Miroslav Gazdík, as well as the Chair of the
Association of Municipalities (Združenie miest a obcí Slovenska, ZMOS [4]),
Miloslav Hetteš.
[1] http://www.ruzsr.sk/
[2] http://www.azzz.sk
[3] http://www.kozsr.sk/
[4] http://www.zmos.sk/
Trade unions demand wider ratification of revised European Social Charter
18 Gegužė 2008
The Slovakian government, in its Programme Declaration (*SK0609019I* [1]),
committed to reviewing the feasibility of ratification of the revised
European Social Charter [2]. The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and
Family (Ministerstvo práce, sociálnych vecí a rodiny Slovenskej republiky,
MPSVR SR [3]) prepared a proposal for ratifying the charter, and submitted it
for discussion at the tripartite Economic and Social Council (Hospodárska a
sociálna rada, HSR [4]). The Slovakian Confederation of Trade Unions
(Konfederácia odborových zväzov Slovenskej republiky, KOZ SR [5]) welcomed
the ratification of the European Social Charter [6], but it did not agree
with the proposed scope of its ratification. KOZ SR representatives demanded
that the ratification proposal of the revised charter be withdrawn from the
agenda of the HSR meeting in December 2007, suggesting that the confederation
would review options for ratification of the charter in a wider context.
MPSVR SR accepted the trade unions’ request.
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/new-government-programme-includes-union-demands
[2] http://conventions.coe.int/treaty/en/Treaties/Html/163.htm
[3] http://www.employment.gov.sk/
[4] http://www-8.vlada.gov.sk/index.php?ID=1145
[5] http://www.kozsr.sk/
[6] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/european-social-charter
New collective agreement reached after tough bargaining in metal sector
20 Balandis 2008
During the sectoral collective bargaining for 2008, the Metal Trade Union
Association (Odborový zväz KOVO, OZ KOVO [1]) requested a 7% wage increase
for workers in the sector. In the view of the OZ KOVO representative,
Stanislav Tarnovský, the good performance of the Slovak economy allows for
such a rise in wages. According to statistics, the average nominal gross
monthly wage in the economy amounted to SKK 19,514 (about €604 as at 11
April 2008) in the third quarter of 2007. Average wages rose by 6.8% in
comparison with the same period of 2006. It is expected that nominal wages
should also rise by a similar rate in 2008.
[1] http://www.ozkovo.sk/?kam=
Pay increase agreed for public sector in 2008
03 Kovas 2008
Employee and employer representatives in the public sector concluded two
sectoral collective agreements for 2008. The collective agreement for civil
servants – people employed in the various government departments – was
concluded by representatives of the Confederation of Trade Unions
(Konfederácia odborových zväzov Slovenskej republiky, KOZ SR [1]), the
Independent Christian Trade Unions (Nezávislé kresťanské odbory
Slovenska, NKOS [2]) and the General Free Trade Union Association
(Všeobecný slobodný odborový zväz, VSOZ), along with the ministers of
finance, of interior and of labour, social affairs and family. The collective
agreement for public servants – people employed by the state under a
public-law relationship such as teachers, nurses or the police force – was
concluded by the same trade union representatives, with five government
ministers, the President of the Association of Municipalities of Slovakia
(Združenie miest a obcí Slovenska, ZMOS [3]) and the chairs of eight
regional self-governments. Both collective agreements entered into effect on
1 January 2008.
[1] http://www.kozsr.sk
[2] http://www.nkos.sk/
[3] http://www.zmos.sk/default.aspx?id=9&lang=sk
Parliament adopts controversial new amendments to Labour Code
14 Spalis 2007
The trade unions in Slovakia had been demanding changes to the Labour Code
for a long time and they anticipated that the new government would accept
their requirements. Since the new government took office in 2006, the Labour
Code was the most discussed piece of legislation; the adoption of changes to
the Code was one of the key political tasks of the new coalition government
(*SK0609019I* [1]). The extensive amendments, including more than 150 items,
proposed by the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (Ministerstvo
práce, sociálnych vecí a rodiny Slovenskej republiky, MPSVR SR [2]) aim to
increase employee protection.
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/new-government-programme-includes-union-demands
[2] http://www.employment.gov.sk/