Foreign workers to get equal conditions to locals

Foreign workers should enjoy equal rights with Slovak employees when it comes to working conditions and wages, according to a proposed draft banning social dumping announced on Monday. The bill should be enacted via an amendment to the Labour Code. It would effectively make it incumbent on employers to ensure the same conditions and remuneration for foreign workers as those given to their Slovak peers. Last week approximately 300 members of the KOVO trade union protested in Bratislava against companies bringing workers from countries outside the European Union to whom they allegedly offer lower pay than to locals. According to Labour Minister Jan Richter there are regions in Western Slovakia, especially the districts of Piešťany, Trnava, Hlohovec, and Galanta where it is problematic for employers to find a sufficient, local, skilled workforce, thus they need to import it.