Skopje, 26 April 2023 (MIA) - Overtime doesn't mean 60 hours a week, and it doesn't mean that overtime will be required throughout the whole year. This will depend on weather conditions for work on the ground, i.e. more intensive work will be done in the months of spring, summer and mid-autumn, but not 60 hours a week, the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy said regarding the engagement of workers on the construction of Corridors 8 and 10-d.

According to the Labor Ministry, overtime will also depend on the activities and work processes on the routes, which means that there will be days when there will be no need for overtime at all.

The Ministry reiterates that the engagement of work force for the construction of Corridor 8 and Corridor 10-d will be in accordance with the current law, i.e. in accordance with the law on public interest, which regulates the engagement of workers and clearly states the obligation for the strategic partner to use at least 51 percent local resources.

The project, adds the Ministry, aims to hire as many as possible workers from North Macedonia, who will have the opportunity to be trained by the contractor. 

"This means that if our country has enough local resources, i.e. workforce, the number of locally hired resources can be higher than 51 percent. Laws exist to protect citizens. The workers who will be hired on this project, and work overtime when required, will have every overtime hour paid 35 percent in line with the law and the collective agreement. Every worker will sign a statement of consent to overtime, and if they don't consent to overtime, they will not be forced to work overtime. According to the law, workers will also have a day off," said the Labor Ministry. 

According to the Ministry, the benefits of the construction are huge, because the connection of the country with the region and Europe ensures balanced regional development, movement of the country's economy, improvement of the business climate, increase of foreign investments, faster transfer of people and goods, opening of new markets and better connection with international and trade partners.

"This also means providing new jobs for our citizens because the routes where the sections will be constructed open additional opportunities for the construction of various new facilities, including gas stations, restaurants, hotels, resorts, business facilities. These are new opportunities for opening new jobs, for employment of the residents of the regions where the highway sections of the corridors will pass. In addition, this also means new taxpayers and new inflows into the state budget," the Ministry added.