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RUZ: Trade Unions Failing to Defend Employee Interests
Thursday 16 December 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, December 16 (TASR) - The fact that trade unionists walked out of a session of the commission tasked with drawing up a new version of the Labour Code on Thursday only shows that they are failing to represent employees' interests and are pursuing their own policies instead, vice-president of the Republican Union of Employers (RUZ) Jozef Spirko said later in the day.
Representatives of the Trade Union Confederation (KOZ) abandoned the session due to what KOZ vice-chairman Vladimir Mojs called the Labour Ministry's failure to come up with a coherent set of proposed changes.
"What happened today [Thursday] is clear proof that trade unionists are failing to defend the interests of employees and the unemployed and are playing politics instead," said Spirko.
The talks with the ministry were accompanied by protests by trade union members, who whistled and called out slogans such as "shame on you" when the parties concerned arrived at the ministry building for the meeting.
Head of KOVO trade union Emil Machyna told TASR that the trade unions are ready to go out on the streets and toughen up their action, including via strikes and by blocking traffic and access to factories.
In this context, Spirko referred to what he called close links and co-ordination between KOZ and the opposition Smer-SD party. "An obvious question comes to mind: is KOZ chaired by [KOZ chairman] Mr Gazdik, Mr. Machyna or [Smer leader and former premier] Mr Fico?" he stated.
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