Amendment of law on collective bargaining deemed unconstitutional

Higher collective agreements do not apply to entities that are not members of an employers' association, the Constitutional Court decided on Wednesday at a public plenary session. In its verdict, it said that the provisions on the legal nature of higher-level collective agreements that are to concern also companies and entities that are not members of an employers association and trade unions are at odds with the Constitution of the Slovak Republic and also violate the relevant articles of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms. The Smer sponsored amendment was attacked by a group of 32 opposition legislators, who complained that it entitled the ministry to extend the binding force of these collective contracts without having to consult employers to which it directly pertains. They argued that the law infringed on the right to private property as well as the right to do business. Also, the law did not guarantee that the balance between public and private interests would have been preserved.