DPTU DELIKATES GRUP DOOEL Kočani provided extra pay to female workers for working on holidays
DPTU DELIKATES GRUP DOOEL Kočani has fulfilled the obligation imposed by the State Labour Inspectorate – Regional Unit Kočani and provided the female workers with extra payment to their wages for work on holidays and non-working days, according to Article 24, paragraph 2 of the General Collective Labour Agreement for the private sector of real economy.
Namely, following information obtained about an instance of breach of workers’ rights regarding extra payments in addition to their wages for working hours effectuated during Sunday break and extra payments in addition to their wages for working hours effectuated during holidays and non-working days, the Helsinki Committee submitted a written request to the State Labour Inspectorate to conduct an additional supervision in several textile factories, including DPTU DELIKATES GRUP DOO Kočani. This year, 24th October was declared to be a non-working day for all citizens of the Republic of Macedonia, due to the marking of the Macedonian Revolutionary Struggle Day, usually marked on 23rd October. Since this year 23rd of October was a Sunday, the following day, 24th October was declared to be a non-working day for all citizens, pursuant to the law. According to the Law on Labour Relations, employers who intend to work during a holiday are obliged to inform the regional labour inspector in advance about their intention. In addition, employers who will work during holidays are obliged to provide their workers the stated extra pay in addition to their wages.
Breach of workers’ rights by DPTU DELIKATES GRUP DOOEL Kočani was identified during the supervision conducted by the State Labour Inspectorate – Regional Unit Kočani. Namely, the stated employer informed in advance the State Inspectorate about its decision to work on the declared non-working day as a state holiday. 63 female workers registered their presence at their working place on that day. The employer calculated and provided them with extra pay to their wages for working hours effectuated during Sunday break, failing to calculate and provide them with extra pay to their wages for work during holidays and non-working days, contrary to the Law on Labour Relations and the General Collective Labour Agreement for the private sector of real economy.
Following the completion of the inspection oversight at DPTU DELIKATES GRUP DOOEL Kočani, the State Labour Inspectorate – Regional Unit Kočani imposed an obligation to the employer to calculate and make extra payments in addition to salaries for work on holidays and non-working days. The employer immediately acted upon this obligation and provided the female workers with extra pay in addition to their salaries.
On this occasion we would like to refute the information announced by several media outlets that the employer DPTU DELIKATES GRUP DOOEL Kočani was sanctioned by the State Labour Inspectorate. This information is not true and the employer has not been sanctioned by the State Labour Inspectorate, since it acted upon the obligation imposed by the Inspectorate, hence no requests for infringement procedure were initiated by the Inspectorate.