Skopje, 12 May 2023 (MIA) – The Parliamentary Committee on European Affairs resumed on Friday the discussion on the draft changes to the Law on Labor Relations, rejecting amendments submitted by opposition party VMRO-DPMNE. 

During the afternoon's discussion at Friday's session, opposition lawmakers accused of disregard of the Constitution and violation of human rights conventions and European directives on working hours and the civilizational benefit of eight hours of work a day.

VMRO-DPMNE MP Brane Petrushevski said the draft law does not specify an upper limit for overtime working hours for the construction of highways, asking whether it is normal to work for 72 hours on heavy construction activities.

"You are violating Directive 88 of the European Commission dated 2003, where Article 6 explicitly states that the average working time for each seven-day period, including overtime, does not exceed 48 hours. If we want to join the European Union, it should be the same in the Republic of Macedonia. It is a paradox that we are violating a European directive in a Committee on European Affairs. This will be a serious remark in the next European Commission report," said Petrushevski. 

Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy, Enver Husein, said he had not seen the contract with Bechtel and Enka, but it was a project of interest to the citizens, of national and strategic importance for the country and key to the Trans-European Transport Network in Western Balkans including for the Republic of North Macedonia.

In defense of the draft changes to the Law on Labor Relations, Husein denied that the working week will be 72 hours, but 60 hours, and only with a written consent of workers and for continuity in the implementation of the project. He added that overtime already exists in construction.  

"Exploitation and violation of the labor rights of any worker will not be allowed. It is an untruth and manipulation that they will have more than 60 hours per week... Each overtime hour will be paid 35 percent. Every worker will sign a consent form on overtime work, and if they do not want to, they cannot be forced to do so," said Husein. 

VMRO-DPMNE MP Ljupcho Prendzhov said that by approving increased working hours per week, from 40 to 60 hours, the government does not care about the rights of workers, adding that SDSM was a pseudo-social democracy violating European values ​​despite the European narrative.

"EU Ambassador David Geer said two days ago, and Brussels spokesperson Peter Stano said this morning that what you are doing has nothing to do with European integration," Prendzhov said, adding that following this proposal from the Government for overtime work, other companies have started announcing 60 hours of work per week. 

He told the parliamentary committee that "it is not normal to vote on something you have not seen", and requested that the contract with Bechtel and Enka be made available for review for two to three weeks.

SDSM MP Martin Kostovski told Prendzhov that by mentioning and referring to the EU, he showed antagonism in his views because VMRO-DPMNE, as he said, denied everything that Brussels says, including that negotiations with the EU have started and that the Macedonian language is protected with the Frontex agreement. 

The session of the Committee on European Affairs is to resume on Monday at 11 am. 

Photo: MIA archive