The Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia (SSM) is strongly against the request of the Chamber of Commerce to test unvaccinated workers at its own expense.

The Law on Labor Relations and the Law on Safety and Health at Work do not indicate such a possibility in any of their provisions, on the contrary, any request and insistence of employers regarding the health status of workers is explicitly stated in the laws to be at the expense of employers, say from CCM.

Hence, they emphasize that they will not allow cheating and disrespecting the laws, their arbitrary interpretation, and thus creating complete legal uncertainty for workers and citizens.

Moreover, we have already informed the public that the most competent institution, the State Labor Inspectorate (DIT), acting upon a report by SSM, stated that employers must not force and oblige unvaccinated workers to be vaccinated or to perform control tests, and to make that conditional. with a ban on coming to work. We expect a louder and more serious announcement, position and opinion from DIT, because the problems we will encounter will be common, ie activities unsupported by law will cause an avalanche of complaints, lawsuits, and possibly uncontrolled protests, according to SSM.

Stable and reasonable action

The goal of all, they add, is to create conditions for stable and reasonable action without causing spontaneous reactions from which everyone will be endangered.

We call for reason, patience and taking serious and law-based measures that will not upset the public and citizens. We are committed to fully informing and educating workers and citizens about the benefits and scientific knowledge of covid-19 immunization. It is obvious that the competent institutions in this regard have failed and insufficiently informed and motivated the population, say the Union.

SSM appeals to the membership and the citizens to seriously understand the need for vaccination.

We call on the workers to freely and voluntarily decide on their own immunization, we do not accept blackmail and coercion in that regard, and we ask the employers to create working conditions adapted to the measures adopted by the Government, ie working conditions in which the workers will perform Work tasks at the required distance, will provide adequate ventilation of work premises, protective masks and disinfectants at the expense of the employer, greater control over the use of public transport and transportation of workers organized by employers, added by CCM.

In this regard, they emphasize, intensified controls by the SLI are needed, as well as a report from them on the controls performed so far and whether the covid measures are observed in the companies, which companies did not comply with the covid protocols, which was undertaken in that direction, and only then Possible steps are taken for legal regulation of the rights and obligations of the unvaccinated persons.