Cziria, Ludovít

From 1991 to 2004, employers in Slovakia were organised in one central organisation – the Federation of Employers Associations (Asociácia zamestnávatelských zväzov a združení Slovenskej republiky, AZZZ SR [1]). They were also represented by this organisation at the national tripartite Economic and Social Concertation Council (Rada hospodárskej a sociálnej dohody Slovenskej republiky, RHSD SR). However, in April 2004, some employer organisations left AZZZ SR and established a new central employer organisation – the National Union of Employers (Republiková únia zamestnávatelov Slovenskej republiky, RUZ SR [2]). [1] http://www.azzz.sk/ [2] http://www.ruzsr.sk/

Disclaimer: This information is made available as a service to the public but has not been edited or approved by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. The content is the responsibility of the authors.

Wages in Slovakia are still among the lowest in the EU. Wage increases are a priority of the trade unions, which annually try to negotiate increases in nominal wages, in order to ensure growth in real wages (after inflation) or at least to avoid a fall in real wages. The new government also included the issue of support for wage increases, including raising the minimum wage, in its Programme Declaration (*SK0609019I* [1]). [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/new-government-programme-includes-union-demands

In the post-election context in Slovakia, the main subject of discussion has been the extent to which the new government would abolish the reform measures implemented by the previous administration. In accordance with its election programme, the leading coalition party Smer-Sociálna demokracia (Smer-SD [1]) has proposed changes in the social sphere, including labour legislation. [1] http://www.strana-smer.sk/

For several years, Slovakia has had one of the highest rates of unemployment in Europe. Since the establishment of the independent Republic of Slovakia, unemployment has been at a level of 11% or more, reaching 19% in 2000–2002. Significant regional differences in unemployment rates are apparent, ranging from approximately 5% in Bratislava to as much as 25% or more in the east and south of the country. Moreover, 55% of those currently unemployed have been out of employment for more than a year.

This paper analyses the capacity of Slovakia’s social partners to effectively engage in social dialogue at various levels. The paper forms part of a wider, comparative project, managed by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Ireland) and the Work Life Development Programme (Sweden). It is aimed at helping social partners in the 10 new EU Member States and the three acceding and candidate countries (Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey) to build their capacity for social dialogue with a view to anticipating and managing change. The report concentrates on studying the organisational, financial, and personnel capacities of the national, central organisations of employers and trade unions for anticipating and managing change, anticipating future developments and implementing outputs.

In autumn 2003, the National Labour Inspectorate (Národný inspektorát práce, NIP [1]) issued an evaluation of its activities in 2002. The NIP was set up under Act 95 of 2000. Its main task is to ensure protection of employees in the workplace and the implementation of labour law. In 2002, the Inspectorate employed 414 persons, of whom 163 were female; 228 were labour inspectors (31 of them women) and almost all were university educated. NIP headquarters are located in Bratislava, with regional offices in Slovakia's eight regional capitals. They are mainly responsible for inspection activities. The following bodies are recipients of the information obtained by inspection: [1] http://www.safework.gov.sk/

In 2002, labour reforms in the public sector led to differing employment regulations for employees in private and public sector organisations. In the public sector, the labour legislation is divided according to two separate provisions: the act on the public service (Act No. 313/2001), which defines the public service and covers services such as education and healthcare, and the act on the civil service (Act No. 312/2001), which regulates the civil service, such as state administration bodies (*SK0206102F* [1]). The latter also provided for the establishment of the Civil Service Office of the Slovak Republic (Úrad pre štátnu službu Slovenskej republiky). [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/new-employment-framework-for-public-employees

Failure to secure higher wage demands (*SK0604029I* [1]) led to a decision by healthcare workers to take strike action to help resolve the conflict. In the afternoon of 6 April 2006, doctors and nurses in Bratislava, Banská Bystrica and Prešov Faculty Hospitals went on strike. The action marked the first official strike in the Slovakian healthcare sector, and was called for an unlimited period of time by employees who are members of the Medical Trade Unions Association (Lekárske odborové združenie, LOZ [2]). The strike was not organised in accordance with the act on collective bargaining [3], because the law only allows industrial action to take place in connection with collective bargaining, for example, when conciliation procedures for concluding a collective agreement have failed. However, the healthcare workers acknowledged their right to strike as set out in the Slovakian Constitution. A representative of the Ministry of Healthcare (Ministerstvo zdravotníctva Slovenskej republiky, MZ SR [4]), Karol Farkašovský, said he did not consider strike as the best solution for solving the wage issues. In his opinion, wage negotiations should continue until all possibilities to settle the conflict are explored. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/healthcare-workers-threaten-strike-action-over-wages [2] http://www.loz.sk/ [3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/collective-bargaining [4] http://www.zdravotnictvo.sk/redsys/rsi.nsf/0/65A226E7C7862B02C125715C004433C0?OpenDocument&ID=PAR097963639971&TYPE=S&LANGUAGE=S&LENGTH=S

In 2005, healthcare employees in Slovakia expressed their discontent with wage levels (*SK0509101N* [1]), and they continue to be dissatisfied as the situation has changed little in the meantime. Workers are currently trying to negotiate a better wage increase with their employers than they received last year. The employees mainly affected are the medical staff of public hospitals who are members of the sectoral Slovakian Trade Unions of Healthcare and Social Welfare (Slovenský odborový zväz zdravotníctva a sociálnych služieb, SOZ ZaSS [2]). Within the framework of sectoral collective bargaining with the Association of Hospitals of Slovakia (Asociácia nemocníc Slovenska, ANS [3]), SOZ Zass has requested a wage increase of about 12% for 2006. The trade union group, which represents around 40,000 employees in the healthcare sector, issued a strike alert on 27 February 2006 and, in the event of their wage demands not being met, will consider taking industrial action. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/nurses-are-protesting [2] http://www.sozpzass.sk/index1024.html [3] http://www.ans.szm.sk/