UNIJA Demands Equal Status for All Downsized Workers

30 October 2006

�Unija� Coordination Body of Associations of Downsized Workers whose legal status remains unsolved, demands from the Government and the Parliament to solve the status of former workers who lost their jobs as redundant or downsized workers, or when their companies went bankrupt.

�Unija� demands from the Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia to adopt, in urgent procedure, the Law for Changes and Amendments to the Law on Retirement and Disability Insurance, or to return into force the Law on Employment and Status of Workers that was in force between 1997 and 2000.

The Law on Changes and Amendments to the Law on Retirement and Disability Insurance was already voted in by the Parliament, on April 13 of this year, but President Crvenkovski refused to sign the decree on its entry into force and returned it to the Parliament. According to �Unija�, the Law does require intervention in Article 68, to lower the required 25 years of working experience to 15 years of experience, or 52 years of age for women and 55 for men.

The Coordination Body also demanded equalization of status and rights between all former workers, whether they lost their jobs on the bases of technological, economic redundancy or due to bankruptcy of employer. The Law vetoed by Crvenkovski did have provisions towards equalisation of status of all former workers (now unemployed).

�Unija� announced that it will also demand reopening of the closed factories, as well as review of privatization of socially owned enterprises. If their demands are not met and considered, they will be forced to take to mass protests in front of the government institutions.

�Unija� represents associations of downsized workers of all categories from Skopje, Bitola, Kumanovo, Lipkovo, Staro Nagoricani, Negotino, Kavadarci, Demir Kapija, Kratovo and Kriva Palanka.