New code leads to walkout

Slovakia’s main trade union confederation, KOZ, has walked out of the tripartite body which brings together representatives of the unions, employers and the government in protest at government policies.

The decision not to take part in the most recent meeting of the economic and social council on 5 September came a few days after a new labour code, which the unions have opposed, came into force.

In a statement, KOZ said it rejected the government’s approach and the laws it had introduced which, it said, “seek to change the socio-economic character of Slovakia”.

Rather than engaging in serious and substantive debate, the government had “resorted to primitive insults against union officials and blaming the unions for Slovakia’s economic development between 2008 and 2010”.

In addition, KOZ said the government had failed to respect agreed procedure by introducing new health and safety legislation without it first being discussed by the economic and social council.

Government labour minister Lucia Nicholsonová described the unions’ decision as “absolutely irresponsible”.

While some unions, such as the metalworkers’ union OZZ KOVO are calling for the walkout to continue until the government changes its position, others, such as president of the chemical union Juraj Blahak, want it to be only temporary. He maintains the unions have “no interest in long-term interruption of tripartism”.