On 19 September the Committee on Labour, Ex-Servicemen’s and Social Issues held a sitting to discuss the Report of the Labour Sector of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Policy on implementing legislation and other specific and general regulation from within the Sector’s purview. The sitting was chaired by Ivana Kovacevic.

Referring to laws passed from 2003 to 2006, a Ministry official underlined that adoption of the Labour Act in March 2005, and the Act’s amendments and modifications in July 2005, a Ministry official said that these meant the continuation of reforms to labour legislation in accordance with EU standards; this had, according to him, created conditions for an open and free labour market. In addition, the period in question saw the adoption of laws governing the Social and Economic Council and the peaceful resolution of labour disputes.

Laws governing industrial action, labour records, and public service salaries were being prepared; the Bill on Conditions for Employment and Work of Foreign Nationals had entered Assembly procedure.

However, there were still problems in the implementation of the Labour Act, stemming from the lack of a general collective labour agreement. Negotiations to resolve this issue are expected; disputed articles of the agreement are also to be harmonised between representative trade unions and employers’ associations. This is to ensure that equilibrium is achieved in ensuring rights and interests of both employees and employers, a key aim of the law.

The Social and Economic Council of the Republic of Serbia, which became operational in April 2005, has so far discussed several draft laws and regulations of importance to the financial, social, and economic position of employees. However, social dialogue needs to be developed at a lower level, where it stems from the immediate needs of the local community. A total of 14 local social and economic councils have been registered so far.

In a short discussion, Committee members stressed their support for any solution that would contribute to greater employment, and especially the establishment of temporary employment agencies.