Labour Ministry

Police are investigating the theft of 30 laptops from offices of the Ministry of Social Cohesion and the Family in downtown Athens.

The theft of the devices is believed to have occurred after 6.15 a.m., when unknown individuals gained access to the building, which is located on Dragatsaniou Street, on Klafthmonos Square.

In a concerning revelation, E-Governance Minister Alexander Yolovsky highlighted that only 31% of Bulgarians possess basic digital literacy skills, trailing behind the average of 54%. Yolovsky, leading the Digital Decade Council, emphasized the urgency to propel rapid advancement in this sphere.

Slovenia does not intend to increase the retirement age to make the pension system more sustainable, instead it plans to offer incentives so that people keep working longer, but higher contributions and a new tax are also on the table, according to a Labour Ministry blueprint for pension reform released on 11 July.

The Slovenian government has decided to join the European Commission's lawsuit against Hungary over its anti-LGBT law. A number of member states and the European Parliament are supporting the Commission's legal action at the EU Court of Justice over what is deemed a discriminatory law.

Ljubljana – The Pensioners’ Trade Union has proposed the introduction of permanent and uniform annual allowance for pensioners to replace the current bonus set each year as part of a separate budget law. The union is proposing EUR 625 for all pensioners in 2023, significantly more than so far. The Labour Ministry has rejected the proposal.

Slovenska Bistrica – A debate on inclusion of foreigners into local environment, especially education and healthcare, was held on Monday in Slovenska Bistrica, where increasingly many foreigners live due to growing demands on the labour market. Slovenian language skills were highlighted as crucial for integration.

Ljubljana – Slovenia’s largest trade union association, ZSSS, drew attention to platform workers – cleaners, food delivery persons, care workers and others as a group who often lacks any worker or social rights, urging the Labour Ministry to introduce a legislative framework to prevent unfair practices.

Ljubljana – Amid a prospering situation in the labour market and favourable unemployment trends, employers have been recording the largest structural imbalances between the registered jobless and companies’ needs since the 2008 financial crisis. Businesses highlight that the paperwork to hire foreign workers takes too long.

Ljubljana – Proponents of the referendum on the waters act have sharply criticised the organisation of the voting, alleging voter suppression regarding information on how and where people can vote early and polling station staffing. “We are faced with inadmissible curtailing of voting rights,” Aljoša Petek of the Legal Information Centre said on Tuesday.

Ljubljana – The government decided on Wednesday to extend the furlough scheme by another month, until the end of June, in a bid to reduce the risk that companies facing slow demand or a negative productivity shock start laying off workers.