Skopje, 19 April 2023 (MIA) - The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy is getting involved in the preparation of the legal provisions on overtime work in the project on the construction of Corridor 8 and Corridor 10d by the Bechtel and Enka consortium, submitted to Parliament at the proposal of MPs.  

"The MPs submitted the law, and now following the reactions we're all getting involved to protect workers' rights," Minister of Labor and Social Policy Jovanka Trenchevska told Telma TV.

The working week, Trenchevska said, is a minimum of 40 hours. The government doesn't say anywhere that it will be 60 hours, but allows for more than eight hours a day depending on the work process.

According to her, how much overtime will be required will depend on the work process and weather conditions, and the upper limit is being discussed. The public, she pointed out, was manipulated that all workers on the Corridors will work 60 hours a week.

"If we want the construction to be fast, there should be overtime work, but it will be paid accordingly and every worker will give a written consent," said Trenchevska. 

Commenting on reactions from the trade unions that they have not been consulted on the amendments to the law on labor relations, she said that it is a matter of a strategic project with an exceptional impact on the development of society.

"In such a case, we must have exceptions in terms of the working time, but with consent of the workers, and we must know the upper limit, which is being discussed," Trenchevska said. 

The Levica political party submitted 1,111 amendments to the proposed amendments to the law on labor relations, and the debate in the Parliamentary Committee on Labor and Social Policy was postponed yesterday.