From 25 to 27 October 2017 took place in Belgrade, Serbia, a seminar about “Social dialogue in financial sector: Quality of Work Life / Quality of Life: We are choosing both!”, organised by WOW (World Organisation of Workers) in cooperation with SS BOFOS (Autonomous Trade Union of Employees in Banks, Insurance Companies and other Financial Organizations of Serbia). The seminar was part of the EZA special project workers' organisations in the Western Balkans "Strengthening social dialogue – shaping European integration" and was funded by the European Union.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Multinational financial companies operating in the Western Balkans behave differently than in their home countries. Trade unions from financial sector in the Western Balkans should be connected in trade union network with their partner trade unions from European Union in order to persuade employers to respect the standards of quality of work life that they respect in their home countries.
It is necessary for trade unions from the Western Balkans to insist on the following issues regarding the quality of working life:
1. To inform the management of the company about problems related to the quality of working life in an appropriate manner. It is important for trade unions to point out to the employer to a common interest. If the employer recognizes his interest, on a matter that the union wants to resolve, the most important step has already been made. Trade unions should insist on good, reliable, complete information. If the trade union and employees are very well informed there will be no rumors and the employees will feel safe. Safety creates satisfaction with work and a relationship in relation to employees - (trade union) - management is better. A secure employee is a satisfied worker. The experience of employees in relation to the behavior of the company's leaders is one of the most important factors in job satisfaction. Behavior of a company leader in accordance with reliable, valid information concerning the company itself and the role of employees in the company is the best way for a company to have: safe, loyal, efficient, productive and satisfied employees.
2. Increase the influence that an employee has on doing his job. Work assignments and the manner of their implementation should be harmonized with the employees’ capacity in the particular company.
3. It is necessary to consider the possibilities of flexibility of working hours at the company level. By introducing flexible working hours, on the one hand, and regulating overtime on the other hand, companies in the financial sector would have more efficient employees, who make fewer mistakes. A tired and exhausted worker is not a satisfied worker.
4. Earnings: Employees in the financial sector in the Western Balkans who are not adequately paid for the job they perform are not satisfied workers.
5. The sense of ability of an employee to do the job he is given is very important for employee satisfaction. Continuing education and training at the organization level increase the sense of ability of an employee to do the job.
6. Achievements or results at work and evaluation of these are an important factor of the quality of working life. In the financial sector in the Western Balkans individual assessment of employees, instead of assessing at the level of sector, in the financial institutions leads to a hostile environment resulting from excessive competition between colleagues. It is necessary to introduce an assessment of the results of employees work at the level of sector.
7. Relationships with colleagues at work is the most important segment of job satisfaction in the financial sector. Research confirms that the greatest incentives in the collective are good interpersonal relations and that they are the most important. Trade unions should work to raise solidarity among colleagues.
8. The balance between work and private life is not possible unless overtime is regulated, and if an employee cannot use annual leave "due to company organization of work", and if he cannot take a time to a doctor if a sick employee comes to work. Prezentism in the financial sector is very common and must first be solved. Flexible working time is a possible answer to this problem.
9. Employees are people with their family, social and personal obligations and needs. If they do not have time to devote their family and meet their social and personal needs, they cannot perform their jobs with full capacity. Trade unions should remind employers that employed are just a people with their private lives and that only a satisfied worker is a worker who brings long-term profit.