With regard to a Draft Law on Foreigners and a public debate on a Draft Labor Law, Montenegrin Employers Federation, an extended session of MEF Management Board took place today, chaired by Svetlana Vuksanovic, MEF President.
Management Board Session was attended by Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Mr. Kemal Purisic and his associates – Ms Edina Desic, General Director of Labour Market and Employment, Mr. Zoran Ratkovic, General Director of Labor and Prof Dr. Vesna Simović Zvicer, a coordinator of a Working Group on Labor Law.
In her introductory speech, Ms. Vuksanovic pointed out that over the past two years MEF was absolutely committed to creation of quality legal solutions that would meet expectations and interests of both workers and employers
Minister highlighted a constructive cooperation between working group members, the fact that certain challenges and disputable issues were to a great extent resolved by consensus that in this phase of negotiations resulted in quite a compromise in terms of adoption of more or less harmonized and sustainable solutions. He announced that within the on-going public debate he would have a meeting with Trade Union representatives too. He thanked those who submitted their written comments to the Draft and invited others to do the same before the end of public debate. He also informed the meeting participants that once the public debate was over, the WG group would consider received comments and suggestions, upgrade the Draft, send it as such to the European Commission, after which the Draft would be considered by the Social Council and finally by the Government.
The meeting continued with presentation of major novelties in the Draft by Ms Vesna Simovic-Zvicer, a Coordinator of the WG, who then answered to participants’ questions.
MEF Board members concluded that, in addition to progressive and good solutions, a Draft Law contained a certain provisions unsupportive to business sustainability and development that did not tackle informal economy and black market, left room for abuse of sick leave thus jeopardizing a true protection of both employers and employees. A greatest attention of employers was drawn by provisions related to an obligation of introduction of Systematization Acts, past years of service as a basis for salary increase, termination of employment by virtue of law – rejection of MEF proposal that a condition for pension entitlement should be 40 years of effective service, the status of temporary work agencies etc.
