CCM - LEADER AND GUARANTOR OF THE DEFENSE AND PROTECTION OF LABOR RIGHTS (LEGAL PROTECTION)
01/16/2014
Caption 1: President PhD Mitrevski on the press conference
Today in the Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia a press conference on the given Legal Protection of CCM for the period of 2014 was held.
The President of CCM, PhD Zivko Mitrevski emphasized that the Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia according to its statutory provisions provides free legal protection of labor rights of its members.
The union membership in CCM directly receives labor rights protection, primarily through the activities of the Department of Labor Relations, Legal Protection and Collective Bargaining in CCM and the relevant unions where workers are members.
The activities for the protection of workers' rights are being implemented by the authorized legal representatives and union representatives in 10 regional trade union offices (Skopje, Bitola, Veles, Delhevo, Kavadarci, Kumanovo, Ohrid, Prilep, Tetovo, Stip) and trade union offices (in Resen, Sveti Nikole, Vinica, Kocani, Gevgelija, Negotino, Kriva Palanka, Debar, Struga, Makedonski Brod, Gostivar, Kicevo, Strumica, Probistip, Radovis).
During 2014 the Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia has registered 2243 claims (on different legal bases) for labor rights protection. (In 2013, 3633 claims for labor rights protection were registered)
The Department for Labor Relations, Legal Protection and Collective Bargaining, regional TU offices and the unions take all available legal measures and actions to maximize the realization of the workers' rights.
Unions with greatest number of claims in 2014:
• Trade Union of Workers in the Agro industrial complex of RM (AGRO) - 779
• Trade Union of Industry, Energy and Mining of the Republic of Macedonia, (SIER) - 570
• Trade Union of Workers in Catering, Tourism, Utilities and Handicraft of Macedonia (SUTKOZ) - 300
• Trade Union of Construction, Industry and Planning of RM (SGIP) - 207
• Independent Trade Union of the Workers in Health, Pharmacy and Social Care of Macedonia - 61
• Trade Union of the Workers in Forestry, Wood Industry and Energy of the Republic of Macedonia - 47
• Trade Union of the Workers in Administration, Judicial authorities and Citizens’ Associations of the Republic Macedonia (UPOZ) - 66
• Trade Union of the Workers in Transport and Communications of the Republic Macedonia (SRSVM) - 21
Number of claims on separate legal bases during 2014
Most of the claims refer to unpaid wages, benefits and allowances, total 1241 claims, claims on the basis of bankruptcy procedure rights - 538, claims regarding the right to annual leave and recourse for vacation - 161 and on the basis of overtime work - 125.
DATA ON SUBMITTED COMPLAINTS TO CCM REGARDING RECOURSE FOR VACATION
The Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia according to its analysis for 2014 and the information and data received by the workers on the payment/ nonpayment of recourse for vacation states that fewer employers have not fulfilled the obligation for payment of recourse for vacation in the amount of at least 40% of the average monthly net salary per employee in Macedonia. In the first ten days of 2015 CCM has received information regarding the non-implementation of the General Collective Agreement for the private sector in the area of economy in terms of payment of recourse for vacation by e-mail from companies in the textile industry from Tetovo and Bitola and companies from the agricultural sector in Sveti Nikole.
For these complaints, CCM has submitted a request for inspection by the State Labor Inspectorate. Also CCM has received anonymous phone complaints from employees regarding the nonpayment of the recourse for vacation from three apparel companies from Kocani, Veles and Skopje, the three construction companies from Skopje, several media, security agency, brokerage houses, and several restaurants in Skopje and a company from the agricultural sector in Veles.
For three companies CCM has submitted a request for inspection and for 17 companies for which the employees have anonymously reported by telephone in CCM. In total CCM has received twenty complaints.
Despite the complaints regarding unpaid recourse for vacation, some of the complaints refer to the fact that the employer has reduced the wages of the workers, and then has paid the recourse for vacation.
All complaints CCM submits to the State Labor Inspectorate for further processing and for these complaints CCM shall further take appropriate legal actions to protect this labor law stipulated in the General Collective Agreement which is mandatory for all workers in the private sector in the area of economy.
CCM in the following period in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy and the State Labor Inspectorate will supervise the payment of the recourse for vacation and at the same time we do make an appeal to the State Labor Inspectorate to carry out frequent inspections in the private sector in terms of payment of the recourse for vacation in 2014, emphasized President PhD Mitrevski.
The State Labor Inspectorate has received 70 complaints of which 62 are by identified submitter and 8 are anonymous. The complaints refer to unpaid recourse in 54 companies in which it was found that 19 employers have paid recourse to 118 workers, after the decisions by the labor inspectors. For 35 employers, procedures are ongoing.
During 2014 CCM has received claims of workers from 30 companies who are not members of unions.
If all these legal actions would have been taken private, by lawyers, the workers would have a cost of approximately 13,461,342 MKD (last year costs amounted to 17,841,094.00 MKD)
For 538 bankruptcy proceedings the costs amount to 2.517.840 MKD (last year- for 323 bankruptcy proceedings – cost- 1,623,960.00 MKD)
The President of CCM, PhD Zhivko Mitrevski has announced that a proposal on amending the Labor Law regarding the annual leave shall be submitted to the Economic and Social Council (the second part of the annual leave to be used in several turns and the employees to have the right instead one day to use two days of annual leave when they need).
Also in the next period CCM shall demand that the employment in the Republic of Macedonia to be on an indefinite period of time for all workers, including workers in the economic zones and also made an appeal the cost of living to be reduced as a result of the reduction in energy prices.
