Government and trade unions discuss amending Labor Law

BELGRADE Serbian government officials met on Monday with representatives of the Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia (SSSS), Tanjug reported. They agreed that over the coming weeks, a commission should be formed to work on amendments to the Labor Law, SSSS Vice-President Zoran Mihajlovic told Tanjug on the same day. Government and trade unions discuss amending Labor Law He said that SSSS President Ljubisav Orbovic met with First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and the Ministers of Finance and Economy Lazar Krstic and Sasa Radulovic. “We expect that over the next two weeks, we will start getting a broader picture of how the job will be done, as we are talking about plenty of work and a very important law here,” Mihajlovic said, adding that the draft amendments are unlikely before March next year. Mihajlovic said he expects the work on the amendments will begin in October. The United Trade Unions of Serbia ‘Sloga’ said earlier on Monday that the labor law is a document of vital national interest and cannot be discussed at the Social and Economic Council (SES). “The SES should be disbanded immediately, since it has long lost its credibility as a government body because of its (lack of) work,” the statement said the union. ‘Sloga’ stated that the much needed amendments to the labor law should be accompanied by a broad public debate, involving full-strength participation of trade unions, employers, experts and the media, and a sustainable solution is to arrived at solely by means of consensus. Zoran Mihajlovic of the SSSS does not think the labor law should be analyzed on a broader level. He says we lack a strong social dialogue, but believes that to disband the SES is a bad idea since the body helps facilitate such a method of communication. Aleksandar Vucic said last week that the government needs to create a better business environment for investment, adding that he will start talking about a new labor law with the unions today. Tanjug

Government and trade unions discuss amending Labor Law

He said that SSSS President Ljubisav Orbović met with First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić and the Ministers of Finance and Economy Lazar Krstić and Saša Radulović.

“We expect that over the next two weeks, we will start getting a broader picture of how the job will be done, as we are talking about plenty of work and a very important law here,” Mihajlović said, adding that the draft amendments are unlikely before March next year.

Mihajlović said he expects the work on the amendments will begin in October.

The United Trade Unions of Serbia ‘Sloga’ said earlier on Monday that the labor law is a document of vital national interest and cannot be discussed at the Social and Economic Council (SES).

“The SES should be disbanded immediately, since it has long lost its credibility as a government body because of its (lack of) work,” the statement said the union.

‘Sloga’ stated that the much needed amendments to the labor law should be accompanied by a broad public debate, involving full-strength participation of trade unions, employers, experts and the media, and a sustainable solution is to arrived at solely by means of consensus.

Zoran Mihajlović of the SSSS does not think the labor law should be analyzed on a broader level.

He says we lack a strong social dialogue, but believes that to disband the SES is a bad idea since the body helps facilitate such a method of communication.

Aleksandar Vučić said last week that the government needs to create a better business environment for investment, adding that he will start talking about a new labor law with the unions today.