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EMPLOYEES DON'T ASK FOR LEGAL ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THEY DON'T BELIEVE IN JUDICIARY SYSTEM

 

The number of workers seeking legal assistance from the union has been reduced due to some violation of workers' rights. Distrust in the judiciary is cited as the main reason for their inactivity, but activists urge workers to be more active and louder in claiming their rights.

In the first six months of 2019, 804 workers contacted the Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia seeking employment protection on various legal grounds. Most of the applications are from the Trade Union of Industry, Energy and Mining, and most of the union's requests for assistance relate to unpaid salaries, allowances and unpaid wage contributions, 514. Hundreds of requests for assistance relate to bankruptcy rights, and there are about seventy claims for union rights. But only a small part of these claims have been processed in the competent court, says Katerina Popovska, a lawyer in CCM.

"We as a union have a different approach and a different kind of action taken. We give advice, prepare lawsuits, agreements, proposals for enforcement, letters to inspectors, prosecutors, etc. In terms of court proceedings, the total number is 16 lawsuits filed which are still pending. Labor disputes have the status of urgent disputes, but it must be said that rarely any of those cases have been completed less than two years,” said Popovska.

"The reason for decrease in the number of members or workers who seek assistance in the unions is that they are not informed that they can exercise their rights through the trade unions, but most importantly they do not dare to take action against their employers because they fear they will lose their jobs or face certain penalties. On the other hand, the reason is the lack of trust in the judiciary system and inspections services. For example, we face a problem with the labor inspection, which very often knows to be on the employer's side” says Popovska.

Link: https://www.slobodnaevropa.mk/a/%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B1%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%...

 

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