Labour Ministry

The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (MMPS) announced on Monday evening that there is no intention to eliminate early retirement or to increase the minimum contribution time to 35 years. MMPS clarifications come after information in the public space alleged government's intention to increase the minimum contribution time and to repeal early retirement.

Ljubljana – The Labour Ministry announced on Thursday, the European Day of Solidarity between Generations, that Slovenia would host a conference focussing on population ageing during its presidency of the Council of the EU. The conference will particularly stress the importance of intergenerational solidarity and cooperation, the ministry said.

Ljubljana – Slovenia’s curve of coronavirus infections keeps on its downward trajectory; 718 people tested positive on Monday to push the rolling 7-day average down further by 48 to 737, data released by the government show. Five patients with Covid-19 died.

Ljubljana – Trade unionists have came out against legislative amendments that would provide the legal basis for ride hailing platforms such as Uber arguing they often violate labour rights. Refuting the charge, Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec said the goal was to make transport services cheaper and more modern.

Ljubljana – The Constitutional Court has stayed the implementation of provisions of the seventh economic stimulus law under which employers may unilaterally and without grounds terminate the employment contract when a worker meets old-age retirement criteria. The constitutional review was initiated by trade unions.

Ljubljana – The government has not yet okayed this year’s call for applications to enrol in university courses in what the Slovenian Student Organisation (ŠOS) sees as an encroachment upon tertiary education autonomy. The University of Ljubljana management thinks the procedure could be jeopardised, a risk Prime Minister Janez Janša dismissed.

Ljubljana – The Employers’ Association is not supporting the Labour Ministry’s proposal to partly cover the minimum wage rise for employers for a limited period of time since it thinks such a measure would offset less than 40% of the increase in labour costs. The organisation urges a better solution.

Ljubljana – The provision allowing employers to unilaterally terminate workers once they have met formal conditions for retirement, passed within the latest stimulus package in parliament on Tuesday, continues to raise dust as trade unions label it inadmissible and clear abuse of crisis legislation. Employer representatives are meanwhile welcoming it.

Ljubljana – The Medical Chamber has warned about ramifications of the provision in the seventh stimulus bill that allows retirement of workers without a justified reason immediately after they meet the conditions for old-age pension. The chamber says that any such outflow of doctors and dentists would further jeopardise access to healthcare.

Hundreds of thousands of workers in Balkan countries have lost their jobs due to economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, official statistical data show. And many fear the real numbers of job losses could be considerably higher, as not all countries in the region have compiled comprehensive records.