Skopje, 9 June 2022 (MIA) – Minister of Labor and Social Policy Jovanka Trenchevska met Thursday with Heinz Koller, ILO Regional Director for Europe and Asia, at the International Labor Conference held in Geneva. The meeting focused on the projects and activities implemented in North Macedonia in terms of the ILO’s technical support and help, according to the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy. Minister Trenchevska referred to the ongoing activities in the preparation of the new Law on Labor Relations, as well as that the draft text has been prepared and harmonized with the expert suggestions and recommendations by the International Labor Organization, also emphasizing their support towards changing the existing Law on Peaceful Resolution of Labor Disputes in order to improve the implementation of said peaceful resolutions, given that this system has proven successful in collective labor disputes. She also mentioned the measure titled “Let’s make declared work attractive to both employers and employees”, which is currently being implemented in Ohrid and Struga, and aims to reduce informal employment and working under the table by simplifying employment procedures and the lower contribution towards social insurance for short-term workers. This measure will be evaluated in October 2022. “It’s crucial to mention Youth Guarantee, one of the leading European initiatives which aims to secure job offers to young people aged 15-29, as well as continuous education, training, or internships, within four months from the day they submit an application to the Employment Agency of North Macedonia,” Trenchevska said. In 2021, 8,064 young people aged up to 29, or 41%, got a job or skills that improved their employability and made them competitive on the labor market. Koller expressed his pleasure with the fact that the results of the implementation of the youth guarantee in our country surpassed expectations, given that he is one of the program creators. He added that the ILO will continue to support North Macedonia on its path to improving labor legislation, security and healthcare while working and increasing employability. dk/ik/