PRECARIOUS WORK ARRANGEMENTS ( Slovenia )

1. PRECARIOUS WORK ARRANGEMENTS(Slovenia) YOUNG PEOPLE UNDER THE PRESSURE OF FLEXIBILITY Staša Pernat International relations advisor Association of Free Trade Unions of Slovenia

2. ZEITGEIST “Tired of constant counting and playing with given numbers that belong to a cultural worker I have decided to raise my standard. I planed my project with great optimism and applied my qualities through different job ads, suitable to my professional qualifications. But the given situation is such, that there are as many candidates as fish in the sea, and the opportunities areas scarce as propellers on a jet…desirable are also unwritten qualities, which can, as a candidate, robe you of the opportunity; all from family pedigree to valued ability of keeping your mouth shut…there exist also those “jobs for intellectual prostitution”, under which you can forget about your personal beliefs and enter into the wheels of neoliberal capitalistic exploitation, where you actually do not receive the minimum wage, but your peace of mind is seriously damaged. Among popular possibilities of my generation is of course a lifelong sucking on you parents generous breasts, or even more handy option of the school system, which is by extending the educational process till post post PhD specializations, doing as a disservice. But even at the end of this tunnel we do not see the light. At the “unregistered department for unemployed persons” after all gained titles this is also the home of people with Masters and PhD degrees.” Katja Praznik, 1978, editor of the scene art magazine Maska, publicist, dance critic, dramaturges, occasional waitress…

3. LEGAL ASPECTS The EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP ACT (2002) permits the fix-term employment only in certain cases (most common one): • replacing a temporary absent worker, • temporary increased volume of work, • seasonal work, • managerial staff, • work which by its nature is of limited duration… • “…the employer can sign one or more fix-term contracts with the same worker, for the same job, but the uninterrupted period of the duration of these contracts must not exceed two years (project work is an exception). • Exceptions of workers’ rights under the fix-term contract: • Limited duration of the contracts • The use of annual leave / proportionate part • Payment for annual leave / proportionate part • …other forms of precarious work arrangements: • employment through temporary work agencies, part-time work, seasonal work, temporary work, self-employment, black market employment, ect.

4. SITUATION ON THE LABOUR MARKET • the intensification of work in Slovenia (index 54/60) is the highest among 31 analyzed countries. • In November 2007 the percentage of fix-term employments amounted to 75.2 % of all the available jobs (UMAR). • In 2005 41.9% out of 75.1% of all employments that were produced on the basis of fix-term employment contract, included young workers between 15 and 24 years of age. • In the same age category there were 31.5% of part-time employments in the year 2006. • Slovenia is, with 63.8% of temporary employments between young people, on the third place amongst the European countries. • In the year 2005 the European commission reported that there were 16% of young workers, age between 15 and 24, that were unemployed in Slovenia.

5. What works against the emancipation of younger generations: • segmentation of the labour market (the biggest share of precarious work arrangements is placed on the shoulders of the young generation), • intensity of work (high level / index 54), • inappropriate housing policy (lack of appropriate affordable apartments - 3,335€/m2, was the average price for an apartment in Ljubljana in September 2007); • lack of decent employment opportunities (A person entitled to financial social welfare who is unemployed is obliged to accept any employment offer…) • low incomes (the last data form the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia for December 2007 states that the average Nett wage in Slovenia amounts 945.34€. ) • prolongation of the educational process (the average is 8 years of study) • shared household with the parents (53% of young men and 43% of young women age between 18 to 34.

6. RECENT RESEARCH IN THE AREA OF RECONCILIATION OF WORK AND FAMILY LIFE Research (882 telephone interviews with young people age 22 to 35 years) Findings: • the younger were the interviewees the higher was the percentage of fix-term employment; • 66% of those who work under fix-term employment contract have no children; • 60% of those who work under full time employment contract have children; • In average young people work up to 47 hours a week; • ½ have no autonomy over determining of working time. • 1/3 are of the opinion that employers demand too much from the employees;

7. Reported problems after the childbirth • when women return to work they often come across the following problems: • Additional work load • Prevented employment at desirable work place • Prevented promotion • Regression of the career • Worsening of the relations at the work place • Termination of the employment contract from the employer side • fathers complain about longer working hours

8. Research in 7 companies/organizations (focus groups and interviews with management) Findings: • the consideration for young families and parents with small children is not high on the priority list of managers is shown through: • the preference regarding human recourses plans is given to those groups of candidates that have no parental obligations (young people or men); • the practice of employment is based on fix-term employment contracts during the first few working years; • organizational practices that severely sanction lateness or highly appreciate (and reward) presence at the work place irrespective of work results; • lack of time for fulfilment of personal needs; • the paid responsibility is seen as prioritized activity in life; • the inconsistency between declarative values of companies and their practices; • With the exception of one company, young parents do not represent a special group that would be considered to receive special attention.

9. Corporate social responsibility • The companies in Slovenia report mostly about legally defined indicators and not about indicators of their voluntary organizational practice. • Under the framework of international project CSR- Code to Smart Reality for SMEs or “Social responsibility – opportunity for small and medium-sized businesses” the first training program for entrepreneurial consultants in the area of social responsibility of the companies in Slovenia was developed and executed. • Under the framework of development partnership “Young-mother/family-friendly employment practices”, which was exercised under the Community initiative EQUAL Slovenia, form the year 2006 to 2007, a pilot project was in progress, of that intend was to familiarize the interested public and companies, with the procedure of acquiring the conditions for the obtaining of the basic certificate “Family Friendly Enterprise”.

10. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS • young people decide to have their own families later and later in life Average age of a woman that gives birth to her first child is currently 28 years. • intensification of work and precarious types of employment contracts can not be effectively addressed just through legislation and different forms of social policies but demand appropriate answers of the employers regarding employment and organizational practices.