Labour

The increase of the minimum wage must be done in accordance with the business environment, otherwise it will lead to layoffs and everything will turn against the people, Labour Minister Raluca Turcan said on Thursday in a press conference.

Ljubljana – President Borut Pahor received on Thursday chair of the Economic and Social Council Mitja Gorenšček to talk about reviving social dialogue. On the latter’s initiative, Pahor will host in the second half of August an informal talk with representatives of the government, employers and trade unions to look for ways to continue the dialogue.

By Yannis Marinos

It is conceivable that the new labour law shepherded through Parliament by Labour Minister Kostis Hatzidakis might have been approved by almost all opposition parties had it not included provisions that affect unprecedented privileges enjoyed until now by trade unionists, thanks to a well-known law passed under Pasok rule.

Labour Minister Raluca Turcan in Brussels on Tuesday discussed with European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira the issue of vulnerable people and the improvement of social services in Romania.

The Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) proposes that the 60/40 job retention scheme (where the government pays 60 per cent of the wage bill and the employer, 40 per cent) become 75/100, CITUB Executive Secretary Asya Goneva commented for BTA on Monday ahead of this week's meeting of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation that will focus on this measure.

The economy and unemployment are veering to the top of the list of the concerns of citizens as the COVID-19 epidemic begins receding and as Greece's vaccine rollout proceeds at a rapid pace.

Ljubljana – Trade union confederations said they had decided to leave the Economic and Social Council (ESS), the country’s industrial relations forum, because the government had practically abolished social dialogue and thus deprived them of the seats at the negotiating table. They warned the government’s action was leading to a conflict.

Ljubljana – Trade union confederations decided on Thursday to leave the Economic and Social Council (ESS), the country’s main industrial relations forum. The main reason is the “government’s systematic violation of rules on the functioning of the ESS”. More detail is to be presented at a press conference on Friday.

Ljubljana – The International Workers’ Day, 1 May, will this year again be marked by epidemic-related restrictions. Trade unions call for job security, decent pensions, social security but also for safety at work, so that workers are not exposed to infection. Traditional celebrations with big bonfires on the eve of the holiday will not take place.

Justice Minister Stelian Ion said on Monday that a state pension should not exceed the amount of a wage in any country that operates on sound principles. The statements were made after a meeting with Labour Minister Raluca Turcan and representatives of the judiciary on the issue of magistrates' state pensions.