2023-03-31

Debate: What will the new Law on Occupational Health and Safety mean for the people?

Centre Dialogue – Social Forum

On 31 March 2023, the Center for Democracy Foundation organised the debate: What will the new Law on Occupational Health and Safety mean for the people?, in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

Partaking in the discussion were: Pavle Grbović, UNITED – SSP, PSG, OVERTURN, SLOGA Parliamentary Group, Sanda Rašković Ivić, People’s Party Parliamentary Group; Biljana Đorđević, GREEN – LEFT CLUB, DON’T LET BELGRADE D(R)OWN, WE HAVE TO Parliamentary Group; Saša Dimitrijević, United Branch Trade Union Independence; Nebojša Miletić, Serbian Association of Employers; Kirsten Schönefeld, Ebert Friedrich Foundation; Nataša Vučković, Center for Democracy Foundation. The discussion was moderated by Petrica Đaković, journalist.

The discussion included the following topics: how are employees protected in the workplace? Are employers adhering to their legal obligations? How does supervision of the competent authorities work? Passing the Law on Occupational Health and Safety is vital to the EU integration process. There are numerous EU-level regulations in this area that we still need to transfer to our legal system so that they may be properly applied. There are a large number of work-related injuries in Serbia with tragic outcomes. The task of the Law on Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) is to introduce new European regulations into our legal system and to contribute to increasing protective measures.

Labour inspection not only has a punitive function, it is also educational. However, in order for it to work, it’s capacities must be strengthened. Furthermore, we must reoppose the fragmentation of labour legislation and to advocate for the adoption of the new Employment Act, and there is no time to waste in these matters. Reducing labour rights protection is the same as reducing OH&S protection. It was concluded that this topic is of immense importance to large numbers of Serbia’s public. It is up to us to advocate for better and more efficient labour protection and to ensure that supervision is much more rigorous.

We organised the following debate in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation – Centre Dialogue – Social Forum.