Failure to pay minimal salary and to determine normed labour input identified in a textile clothing manufacturer in Kratovo

Following a request submitted by the Helsinki Committee to the State Labour Inspectorate – Regional Unit Kratovo for non-scheduled inspection oversight, several irregularities were found in the operations of DPD DE-TEKS DOO Probištip – affiliate no. 1 in Kratovo, regarding failure to determine the normed labour input, salaries for October 2017 paid to 43 workers in the amount lower than the legally proscribed minimal salary and failure to provide monthly salary and benefit contribution calculations for October 2017 to 43 workers.

The inspectorate made a decision to task the employer with drafting a rulebook for normed labour input, according to Article 1 of the Law on Amending the Law on Minimal Salary, to pay the outstanding difference between actual salary paid and legally proscribed minimal salary tothe 43 workers at the affiliate, pursuant to Article 10 of the Law on Amending the Law on Minimal Salary, and to provide the employees with monthly salary and benefit contribution calculations.

This is the first registered case by the Helsinki Committee of the State Labour Inspectorate identifying irregularities regarding failure to pay minimal salary and to determine the normed labour input by an employer in the textile industry after the Law on Amending the Law on Minimal Salary has come into force.

We welcome this decision of the State Labour Inspectorate – Regional Unit Kratovo and we encourage male and female workers in the textile industry to continue reporting breaches of workers’ rights in the future. We also urge employers to respect the Law on Amending the Law on Minimal Salary in terms of determining the normed labour input and payment of the legally proscribed amount of minimal salary. The Helsinki Committee will continue to monitor this case in terms of whether the employer will act upon the orders of the Inspectorate.