Janez Cigler Kralj

Ljubljana – Slovenian NGOs and the human rights ombudsman have called on the authorities to take measures to reduce poverty to the largest degree possible as the world observes International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on Sunday. The ministry in charge social affairs on the other hand says the government has not forgotten the socially deprived.

Luxembourg – EU employment and social affairs ministers met in Luxembourg on Friday to discuss the future of the European Semester, arguing that future economic measures and reforms should take social dimensions into account in a consistent manner.

Ljubljana – All social partners attending a meeting hosted by President Borut Pahor on Thursday are ready to restore dialogue on the Economic and Social Council (ESS), Pahor said after the talks. An agreement on restoring the dialogue will be prepared by a spacial negotiating group.

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.

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 – President Borut Pahor hosted a Labour Day reception on Saturday at which the head of the ZSSS trade union association Lidija Jerkič said the holiday should be an opportunity to reflect on workers’ rights, and assessed that the government was ignoring social dialogue with trade unions. Many officials also marked the holiday with their messages.

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.

Ljubljana – The government has extended several measures aimed at helping individuals and businesses get through the epidemic. The measures would have expired at the end of the month, but have now been extended until the end of June. The furlough scheme, which expires at the end of April, has not be extended yet.

Slovenj Gradec – The government is hoping to find a new investor for a location in Slovenj Gradec that the US company Adient plans to shut down at the end of the year at a loss of 430 jobs. “I’m optimistic, we have several interested parties for the continuation of production,” Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said on Tuesday.