Unions against the abuses of redundancy, but also for exemption of persons who are not responsible for losing their jobs

At the 10th ESS Session Trade Uinon urged no to place all workers in the same group

Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia and the Confederation of Free Trade Unions support the intentions of the Government to prevent abuses of the Law on insurance in case of unemployment. However, they think there is a need to protect or to exclude those categories of workers who lose their jobs not by their fault, or those who are truly redundant.

This was announced today by the trade unions at the Tenth Session of the Economic and Social Council, which discussed the proposal of the Law amending the Law on employment and insurance in case of unemployment. Namely, in the draft - the law provides for reducing the period of five years for monetary compensation.

We are against more restrictions on workers' rights, said CCM president Zivko Mitrevski. We welcome the fight against abuses, but do not let suffer the workers who are not guilty. We could make great injustice and therefore we should not put all users same definition, because there are workers pronounced as redundant by the employers. They are not involved in any fraud and remain with no other income except for compensation by the Employment Agency.
Mitrevski informed on CCM proposals: reduction of the fee to 50 %, not of the wages in the last nine months, but of the average nationwide wages, the employee to have at least five years experience in the company where redundant, which will prevent from abuses. A third and also very important is the situation of workers who have 15 years of working experience, since the abolition of the fee will not run through the Agency of Employment and they will not be entitled to pension. Ways should be find to eliminate abuses, but with no damage to persons with reduced working ability, or those who have no other source of income.

The arguments of the Government derive from the analysis that we did the last four - five years, explained Minister Spirovski. Abuses are massive and many people abuse the law. We have artificially declared redundancies in good companies, so in that way the burden is shifted to the state. Other companies use the law as an unofficial requirement for employment. In 40 % in the area of the fees, people are employed one year before turning 57 or 59 years. Spirovski cited several examples of apparent cheating of the law, as in cases where in family companies parents leave the business and their children take over, and parents are declared as redundant. A company has been found registered in 2008, which employs 83 persons, all before the age of 57 and 59, of which, 79 was declared as redundant and the burden was shifted to the state.

The state pays 2.2 billion denars a year as costs and that situation must change. Variants are considered to reduce the reimbursement period to 12 or 18 months and the most optimal solution in terms of eliminating abuses seems the solution of 18 months, said Minister Spiro Ristovski. He stressed that in no other European country there is no such a long period of unemployment benefits. As for workers who do not abuse this opportunity, and they are not much, trade unions demands for their care will be reviewed by the Government, the Minister said.

President of KSS Rasko Mishkoski asked to exclude and workers in enterprises that are in bankruptcy or liquidation. Pece Ristovski, president of SIER and member of the ESC, said, referring to abuses that the government may eliminate them, but it shouldn’t damage those whose motive is not a scam, and there are more opportunities for that. There are older workers with reduced capacity, and in the private sector there are no transfers to another job.
At the session Zivko Mitrevski emphasized again that for CCM the problem is very serious for the position of workers who lose their jobs objectively and who have no other option except for subsistence allowance and that they have to be protected.

The meeting was not attended by representatives of the employers, so the amendments to the Labour Law of the sick leaves section will be postponed for the next meeting.
ESS also discussed on the initiative for change of the working hours, proposed by the trade union of UPOZ with the support of several other unions. It was concluded that the issue should be seriously considered and special working group to be established.

The meeting discussed the initiative of CCM for ratification of ILO Conventions 151 and 154.