Some jobless inhabitants of a Roma settlement near the village of Slovenská Ľupča in the Banská Bystrica region are reluctant to engage in community work, even though they will most likely be deprived of subsistence allowance according to legislation that came into effect as of July 1, TASR learnt on Thursday.
The mayor of Slovenská Ľupča Miroslav Macák told the news agency that it's the men of the settlement in particular who don't want to carry out menial tasks such as sweeping the streets and maintaining the greenery in the village parks. “We've invited some 30 people, including Roma, to come over to the municipal office to offer work to them. Not a single one turned up, none of them accepted a job offer. And it needs to be said that there's enough work in the village, especially after the completion of the sewerage system”, said the mayor. Nevertheless, Macák emphasised that he does not think this is due to the Roma being unwilling to work. “I don't think that they're lazy. Rather they are ashamed to put on a green or orange [reflective] vest and sweep up around [Slovenská] Ľupča. They appear not to be bothered by the fact that they will lose [their subsistence benefit of] €62 [per month]”, said Macák, adding that it's no secret that many local people engage in illicit work instead. The mayor went on to say that despite the reluctance on the part of some Roma, the municipality does employ around 40, mainly female, Roma from the settlement. These individuals carry out various tasks, including cleaning the local community centre and distributing mail. The mayor added that of the 3,300 residents of the village, 200 are of Roma origin, and the community typically co-exists without major problems. “There are Roma who've attended schools and have university educations in the village. They are employed”, said the mayor, explaining that another part of the Roma population (approximately 100 people) live in an excluded settlement beyond the Hron River. Most of these people live in container dwellings without toilets or running water. According to legislation pushed through by the Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Ministry, in order to be entitled to subsistence allowance of €61.60 per month, unemployed individuals are obliged to carry out at least 32 hours of voluntary or minor maintenance work per month where they live. This law became valid on July 1.
