Commissioner for Protection of Equality Brankica Jankovic says that International Labor Day, beside congratulations, is an opportunity to outline the problems related to achieving of this right, because a dignified living from one’s own work and respect of workers’ rights are the main postulates of the equality principle in employment relations, but also the task for our entire society.
Labor market for is an area in which discrimination occurs mostly for years now and complaints show that there is a wide spectrum of the violation of equality rights in this area. Beside women, especially those who recently gave birth, older people and persons with disabilities, among the most vulnerable social groups are also the poor citizens who often accept inhumane working conditions and young people who are leaving Serbia looking for employment. Furthermore, among frequent grounds of discrimination at work are health condition and trade union membership.
Apart from violation of human rights, discrimination in the labor relations has negative consequences to the whole economic growth, because it increases the number of poor and socially excluded persons. Therefore, its suppression is a condition for social prosperity and growth of living standard. Having all this in mind, authority bodies, especially creators of employment policies, must intensify their activities in order to protect the right of employees more efficiently.
Commissioner Jankovic reminds that, in accordance with this goal, she has sent the Initiative to amend or suspend the law which prevents the employment in the public sector to the Ministry of State Government and Local Self-Government, having in mind the consequences in the functioning of services in areas of health, education, social protection, child care, science and culture.
In the same time, Commissioner announces that she will submit a Special Report on Discrimination in Area of Labor and Employment to the National Parliament on the International Day of Tolerance, where all relevant data and recommendation for the improvement of equality in this area will be presented in details.
