As the only representative workers’ organization we are unpleasantly surprised by the fact that we have not been consulted regarding the preparation of the Draft Law on Determining Public Interest and Nomination of a Strategic Partner for Implementation of the Project for Construction of Infrastructure Corridor 8 (section: Tetovo - Gostivar - Bukojcani and the project for the highway Trebenishta - Struga - Kafasan) and corridor 10 e (section of the highway Prilep Bitola) in the Republic of North Macedonia, and according to which funds will be provided from the Budget of the Republic of North Macedonia proposed by a group of MPs.
Our reaction is to Article 12 of the draft law which in our opinion should be deleted, and the existing provisions of the Labour Law on Labor Relations, the Law on Safety and Health at Work, the Collective Agreements and the Conventions of the International Labor Organization to be applied. Article 12 stipulates that the strategic partner has the full right to organize and schedule the working hours of the workers who will be engaged in the project with the possibility that the working hours for each individual worker last an average of 60 hours per week during the year.
Considering that the Labor Law, the International Agreements, the work practice everywhere in Europe and in the World is a 40-hour work week, an average of 60 hours per week per year would mean that workers during the week would work in some periods and more than 60 hours.
This will set a precedent given that 8 hours of work is one of the oldest benefits of the labor and trade union movement since 1886, after the end of the strike in Chicago.
This large-scale support of working hours (average of 60 hours per week per year) is a way of supporting forced labor without any respect for human rights and human dignity.
SSM fights for protection and promotion of workers' rights and human dignity, and the State should respect those rights and act as a protector of civil and human rights.
The Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia considers that when arranging contractual work obligations for performing work in the State for which the funds are provided from the budget, the State and the companies hired by must comply with the obligations arising from national legislation, Collective Agreements and ratified International Labor Conventions.
We point out to the MPs on the seriousness of the consequences of Article 12 in the draft law and we believe that with their expertise and dedication in their work they will take care of the citizens they represent. We do expect Article 12 to be omitted in the final version of the law, otherwise, the MPs and the parliament with such a move will harm the State, workers and citizens.
* A Protest letter was also sent to the President of the Parliament, the Coordinators of the parliamentary groups, the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, the Government and the office of the International Labor Organization in Skopje.
