During the last two years, Moldova’s legislation in the field of labor has been modernized in accordance with the EU standards. The made changes, including the provisions that are yet to take effect, are designed to ensure equality for all the sides involved in labor relations, Minister of Health, Labor and Social Protection Stela Grigoras stated in a seminar centering on the labor legislation reform, IPN reports.
Stela Grigoras noted that besides the made amendments, a bill was drafted to transpose the European directive on collective redundancies to the national legislation. The draft law will be submitted to the Government for approval by this yearend.
Sergiu Morari, division head at the Ministry, said that three laws to amend and supplement the Labor Code have been adopted this year. A compromise between the social partners was reached on most of these. The amendments allow for the transposition of four European directives and are designed to improve the social climate and the business climate.
Fabien Schaeffer, project manager of the EU Delegation to Moldova, said the reform in the field of labor is beneficial to everyone – employers, employees and trade unions – because it will bring great labor productivity. This reform is necessary because the Moldovan legislation still includes Soviet elements that hinder it from attracting foreign investment and creating decent jobs. “There should be a social dialogue so that employers find employees, while employees have a decent salary to leave decently. The progress in the field of labor should continue with the notion of “flexicurity”, which is flexibility and security, and the European states are the model towards which the Republic of Moldova should move,” stated Fabien Schaeffer.
Vladislav Kaminski, executive director of the National Employers Confederation of Moldova, noted that some of the labor legislation provisions are outdated, but the improvements should be made so as not to bring disadvantages to salary earners.
Sergiu Sainciuc, deputy chairman of the National Confederation of Trade Unions, said the current Labor Code is based on 40 European conventions. A report by the World Economic Forum places the labor legislation 11th on a list of 16 obstacles to attracting foreign investment to Moldova. To change the situation, the impediments that come before the labor legislation in the list, primarily corruption and political instability, should be removed.
EU High-Level Adviser on Employment Policies Nijole Mackeviciene noted that the Association Agreement ratified by Moldova aims to ensure balance for those who work and those who are out of job, appropriate responsibilities for employers, reforms in education and professional training and to eliminate the barriers to employment.
