Parents in Serbia will be entitled to a day off to celebrate birthdays of their children until they turn 15. This initiative has been launched by the Serbian trade unions, and, so far, almost 70% of the contacted employers are in favour of it. If the initiative goes through the required procedure, it will be discussed by the government and probably be included in the Labour Law.
According to the president of the Association of Free and Independent Trade Unions of Serbia, Ranka Savic, the initiative is very good and no labour organization will be against it.
“I think that people in Serbia work a lot overtime for which they are not paid so I am not too sure that the employers would readily support this initiative. Employers rarely give their workers a day off if they are attending work-related seminars or trade union training”, Savic says.
President of the Employers Union of Serbia, Nebojsa Atanackovic thinks that the initiative could be discussed in the Parliament only next year.
“I think that this proposal should be presented as one of the possibilities practiced by companies. It should not be mandatory for all. Such privilege does not exist in any country. Many companies, for instance, give parents not only five days off (as required by law) when their child is born but sometimes even longer”, Atanackovic adds.
He does say that all employers should make effort into having a more civilized relationship with their employees and that there shouldn’t need regulation to do this.
(Vecernje Novosti, 27.05.2017)
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