From 21 to 24 June 2017 took place in Ohrid (FYR of Macedonia) a seminar about “Self-employment and precariousness: The number of precarious jobs is constantly increasing. What are trade unions doing about this in relation to government policies?”, organized by YHACM - UNASM - UIATUM (Union of Independent Autonomous Trade Unions of Macedonia), with the support of EZA and of the European Union.
The overall aim of the project was to raise the awareness of the need for a quality social dialogue that should be part of all relevant structures, such as trade unions, employers, the government of the Republic of Macedonia, and ensuring secure jobs, or models and experiences from the EU should be taken into consideration in the policy creation model. From the point of view of employee organizations, other indispensable aims are the decrease of the number of precarious jobs that is constantly increasing and the trade unions and employer’s organizations to obtain a leading role and to influence the policies in the implementation of the policies in the country.
The world we are part of and the contemporary society- the social thought, politics, academic community, trade unions, the work force, managers and experts agree that the world we live in is experiencing exceptionally dynamic changes. However, these changes are different from the changes the previous generations faced. These changes not only change the way of life, but it also changes the basic social events and personal values. It also changes the essence of life. A lot of these changes are recognizable. Therefore, this is very important and it is only a first step in the process of looking for an answer of the question about the human vision of the states and the world as a whole. Furthermore, the insecurity and the employment will not give a non-human reply because everyone has the right of personal happiness. The situation in the states and the employment is not something that the citizens should be blamed of, because all the people together create these changes. We must not observe the employment and precariousness as irrelevant problems, but these are problems that must be urgently solved.
- We need a courage that we take from the conflicts in order to adjust to the contemporary world of labor.
- This is a courage and responsibility that the trade unions must have and that leads to relevant answers.
- Greater amount of material goods must be created which will not be followed by increase of the poverty.
- We should face the fact that the fastened mechanical development serves only the minority of rich people.
The representatives of the organizations represented at the seminar agreed that we all share the same or similar problems. In all of the countries there are several trade unions that are facing a reduction of the membership. The number of employed people is growing but the number of precarious jobs is also growing. Every change in the labor code reduces the rights of the workers. There are neither experts nor professionals in trade unions. The norms of the EU do not change. The media is not interested in this area because the media is not independent, but they are under political influence.
In the past few years we have been witnessing the information obtained by the International Labor Organization and that of the European Union according to which the precarious work should be more carefully treated. The unprotected work leads to emergence of different types of social risks (unemployment, illness, labor abuse, pension benefits).
CONCLUSIONS
- Only an approach that includes radical changes in the awareness and behavior of social partners and actors will contribute to expanding the horizons that will enable giving relative and long-term acceptable answers of the problems such as the one on how to make inhuman forms of behavior in the world of labor a history.
- To search for mechanisms, principles and indicators and practice of social partnership, opened, courageous and well-argued conversation where all the participants will talk about the problems in the past and about the future.
- Trade unions should create strategies and programs and to make efforts to acknowledge and understand the needs of young people and to direct social resources to satisfy their needs.
- To strengthen the moral and spiritual values of the workers and their skills.
- Trade unions should be motivated and not to be treated as rivals.
- The right to association should also be acknowledged to unemployed, students, precarious workers, retired people and in order for that to happen a change should be introduced to the Labor Code.
- Constant partnership, building strategies for improving the social dialogue.
- Imposing our role and creating a new vision about our role when it comes to protection of the workers.