Today, the Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia organized an online panel discussion on Occupational Safety and Health, as part of the activities implemented within the Project: OSH during COVID-19 pandemic ,funded by ITUC PERC and Union to Union.
The panel discussion was attended by representatives of the social partners in the country, Milan Zivkovic, Advisor to the Prime Minister in the Government of RNM, Darko Docinski, Advisor in the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, Goran Popovski, State Adviser at the State Labor Inspectorate, Belinda Nikolovska, ORM, Mile Boskov , BCM, representatives of the National OSH Council, Emil Krstanovski, National ILO Coordinator, Milan Petkovski, MOSHA, Borce Stojcevski, TUTELA, as well as representatives of the branch unions affiliated in CCM.
The President of the Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia, Darko Dimovski emphasized that the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic marked 2020 and caused consequences that were globally unknown.
From the beginning of the pandemic, CCM, as a representative trade union in the country, insisted on social dialogue and adequate involvement of all social partners in the country in creating measures to combat the infection and protect the life and health of citizens. At the same time, we demanded that it is necessary to undertake activities to maintain business ventures, stabilize the economy and the functioning of society.
The Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia from the very beginning of the pandemic, having in mind the experiences of the countries where the pandemic had been widely spread and the recommendations of the World Health Organization have demanded:
COVID - 19 to be recognized as an occupational disease for all workers and the absence from work due to infection, isolation and self-isolation to be paid 100% of the basic amount determined by law.
The Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia has submitted requests to the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, the Ministry of Health and the Government to regulate this right of the workers, and this panel discussion is an opportunity to convey our views which shall be presented also to the national authorities.