Interview - Zivko Mitrevski: There will be protests if needed

"CCM is not giving up of the protests, as they are one of the assets available during the year and we use them if necessary. Protests and events will be organized in cases of mass lay-offs, reductions in salaries, increase in the retirement limits or absence of social dialogue", said in the interview for Ekonomski.mk President of SSM, Zivko Mitrevski. According to him, it is better to celebrate First of May in campaigns for the protection of workers, rather than with events on the street. He says there are still problems with the protection of workers' rights, but the situation is much better compared to a few years back.

Ekonomski.mk: What labor rights are often violated?

Zivko Mitrevski: SSM remains one of the most important institutional factors in the defense of workers' rights that realizes its services by trade unions, but also by well-organized legal infrastructure that is present in all cities and offering free legal assistance. Over the past year there were 2.789 addresses in SSM, most of which were related to unpaid salary contributions, for pension and disability insurance (338), 370 unpaid wages, as well as in the non-payment of fees specified in some collective agreements and non-paid vacation fees and jubilee awards.

Our analysis showed that in contrast to the previous period, probably due to increased penal policy, diligence in carrying out the procedures, preventive action of our services, training of workers in the area of ​​legal protection and campaigns around the introduction of rights based on employment contributed to reducing the number of violations of labor rights.

Ekonomski.mk: Is the Trade union satisfied with the cooperation with labor inspectorate and state?

Zivko Mitrevski: Basic commitment of SSM, among other things, was to achieve a high consensus for defending workers' rights and strict adherence to of the ILO on dignity of work and dignity of labor. In this direction, together with relevant ministries and institutions of the state we opened a wide front and we provided a platform for action and we bound by signing of the Pact of providing decent work, which is a long-term document and which requires cooperation in terms of defending the interests of labor. As a result, we established intensive contacts with the Labor Inspectorate and many inspections were carried out in companies where we had identified violations of the rights in respect of employment and especially violation of the rights of safe and healthy conditions at work. The number of injuries and the number of complaints showed that only joint action can result with success and as a result we were involved in several joint projects that provide to this purpose. The fact is that the last two or three years collaboration significantly improved, but we think there is still room for the inspectorate to be staffed with number of young, skilled and trained personnel.

Ekonomski.mk: The Law on minimum wage was adopted, but there are problems with the payment? What are your members complaining about?

Zivko Mitrevski: On the occasion of May Day in 2011, SSM initiated an annual campaign for adoption of the Law on minimum wage. In 2012 it was adopted, and in terms of time distance of 1 year, if in the first period its application was about 70% to 80%, the latest analyzes made by SSM and Organization of Employers of Macedonia showed that its application is over 90%. It remains the task for increased activities of all social partners, especially trade unions and labor Inspectorate, to solve the problem with abuses in small and micro enterprises and in the abuses that were found in the recovery of funds. We encourage all those workers who are not being paid the minimum wage to immediately contact SSM and relevant inspectorate. In terms of wages, workers often complaint about non-payment of overtime work and of certain fees.

Ekonomski.mk: Is SSM currently working on a new project in direction of greater protection of workers' rights?

Zivko Mitrevski: In the last three years SSM is working on two important concepts in direction of greater protection of workers' rights - on the one hand, the improvement of labor legislation, on the other hand the concept of improving labor standards. In this concept there were implemented 19 EU Directives, ratified 5 new ILO conventions, of which one that regulates social clauses in public procurement, the Convention on Maternity Protection, Convention on Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health, and 3 new conventions are in the process of ratification, including 2 especially important conventions for the situation of workers in public sector. Two concepts are finished that were dedicated specifically to protect vulnerable young workers and women, that prohibit all forms of discrimination during employment and work by workers in relation to pregnancy, childbirth and maternity. The concept was completed for fight against unregistered employment, by eliminating abuses of blank statements and contractual cancellations, mandatory penalties were increased for unregistered workers, in those enterprises were found more than three unregistered workers the employer will pay 70% of salary, what is also very important is that the working and legal status of migrant workers is defined for the first time, and all these measures triggered transformation of employment from determined to indefinite period of time. What we plan for future is to open up the issue of introducing the concept of workers’ participation in management and decision-making and the formation of workers’ councils, we will seriously impose the issue on the need of courts to resolve labor disputes and improvement of social dialogue at the local level.

Ekonomski.mk: Is labor respected in Macedonia?

Zivko Mitrevski: The issue of respect of labor in Macedonia is very specific if you bear in mind that it is set amid the global financial, economic and debt crisis, which certainly affects the position of labor and its dignity. SSM, in a most responsible manner can say that the concept of improving labor legislation realized with the social partners, the concept of improving labor standards, adoption of the minimum wage, and a range of concept measures aimed at encouraging employment, influenced to preservation of the three basic pillars that we focused on in our strategy. First, we provided atmosphere for building secure employment and we provided it with no massive waves of layoffs of workers. Secondly, although in RM, according to our views, salaries are still low, we cannot allow such wages to go down, and in the meantime, after the introduction of the Law on minimum wage, in all collective agreements that were signed later, the amount of wages went up. Reports regarding evaluation of improvement measures in favor of protecting the social economic situation, the number of registered complaints unlike past years, increasing penalties and frequent inspection shows that in Macedonia exists improvement in respect of the labor, but still remain many issues that need to be addressed, especially in the area of ​​respect for labor in small and micro enterprises.

Ekonomski.mk: Do employers gained the habit of paying for work on holidays and overtime hours?

Zivko Mitrevski: In Macedonia was present the habit of not paid overtime work and holiday hours, but latest data show positive developments in this area, that the number such cases is drastically reduced. We still remain to the conclusion that only through collective organizing in trade unions workers can exercise their individual and collective rights and that only through unions, in terms of newly established social, economic and political system we can save labor values, including achievement of these rights.

Ekonomski.mk: This year there won’t be May Day protest. Why Macedonia deviates from international practice?

Zivko Mitrevski: SSM decided again, to celebrate May Day with an annual campaign, and not for just one day. CCM considers that more important is content, the results of the activities that we intend to implement over the whole year rather than the form that don’t have positive results. Our three year strategy regarding the celebration of May Day showed as much more productive, more successful and is associated with specific results. In 2010 we had a celebration of May Day with a campaign to organize and mobilize new membership that ended with 26.000 new members. We marked the holiday in 2011 with a yearlong campaign for adoption of the Law on minimum wage and as you know, the Law on minimum wage was passed in early 2012 and it has a historical dimension in terms of addition of socio-economic security of workers. Last year, we were campaigning for the adoption of a Law banning psychological harassment – MOBBING, which was also successfully completed and is entered in parliamentary procedure. SSM is serious and responsible workers’ organization committed to realizing of their rights and fights for them every day. Every day we face problems, we solve problems and we offer constructive and responsible solutions. We are focused on results, we are focused on achieving the content, we are focused on improving of the social and economic position by offering specific solutions that are not associated with the day-long celebration characteristic of certain NGOs and structures that only appear once a year, manifesting with no responsibility or liability for their work. SSM is not giving up of the protests, as they are one of the assets available during the year and we use them if necessary. Protests and events will be organized in cases of mass lay-offs, reductions in salaries, increase in the retirement limits or absence of social dialogue. Our main commitment is that economic and financial debt crisis should be resolved constructively, organizationally, rationally, and not formally and with manifestation, as one wants to claim. SSM’s remains on the strategy to solve overall problems of socio-economic and social life in a specific way and with specific results.

(Published: ekonomski.mk, 1.05.2013)