Around 70 staff members of logistics company FM Slovenská from Sereď, south western Slovakia, on Thursday staged a protest in front of the firm's facilities. They voiced their displeasure with what they view as the company's disregard of the collective agreement and preference given to Serbian workers who work under more modest conditions than domestic staff. "They are cheaper so we are disadvantaged. We want to see these people working under the same conditions as the locals," said local trade union boss Elena Rajnicová.
The representatives of the company did not come to address the protesters. In their written statement provided to public broadcaster RTVS they claim that the staff from abroad is hired by suppliers. "We do not have the chance to check and interfere into the conditions of their hiring process," reads the statement.
The foreign employees come to Slovakia via international recruitment agencies. Their income as well as benefits are lower than those of the local staff.
Nationwide metallurgy and engineering KOVO trade union chief Emil Machyna at the protest stated that there are many such companies in Slovakia, so the state must deal with the situation via legislation.
The government promises changes in the Slovak labour code. "If anybody hires a foreign employee, it must be done under the same conditions under which they hire a Slovak citizen," stated Prime Minister Robert Fico a week ago. Trade unions welcome the amendment draft. Nevertheless, they have some comments on the document. "We want to limit the number of employees hired through agencies. Moreover, we demand high fines in case of breaking the set conditions," explained Emil Machyna.
The parliament should discuss the measures against social dumping at its session that begins next week.
