Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2020, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Minimum Wage-Fixing Machinery Convention, 1928 (No. 26) - Slovakia (Ratification: 1993)

The Committee notes the observations of the Association of Industrial Unions (AIU) received on 16 April 2020, as well as the Government’s reply.

Article 3 of the Convention. Minimum wage-fixing machinery. Consultation of the social partners. The Committee notes that the AIU refers to recent legislative changes adopted by the Parliament, including amendments to the Minimum Wage Act. According to AIU, these amendments changed the minimum wage fixing method by providing that, in case an agreement is not reached between the social partners for the yearly revision of the minimum wage level, that level would be fixed at 60 per cent of the average monthly nominal wage of an employee, as determined by the national statistical office. The AIU adds that this formula was not justified by any study or expert discussion. While acknowledging that the legislative changes were the subject of a discussion in the Economic and Social Council (ESC) in the course of the legislative process, the AIU considers that this discussion was only a formally fulfilled obligation and that it did not constitute a proper consultation with the social partners, given that those submitting the legislative proposal were not willing to accept any comments or suggestions of the social partners. The Committee takes note of the Government’s reply to these observations, which confirms that the proposed legislative changes were submitted to the ESC following their introduction to the Parliament. The Government adds that further readings in the Parliament related to these amendments took place after the consultations with the social partners within the ESC. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the proceedings of the ESC meeting during which the proposed amendments to the Minimum Wage Act were discussed, together with a copy of the Act, as amended.