Archive of articles - December 2010, page 10
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Slovak men expect salaries one third greater than Slovak women expect
Men in Slovakia expect salaries 31 percent higher than women, Lucia Burianová, the spokesperson of the Profesia.sk internet job portal told the TASR newswire. According to the data released by the portal, men on average expect gross monthly salaries reaching €863 while women expect only €660 per month. Burianová points out however that comparing these average expectations does not prove discrimination as it is necessary to compare salaries of men and women in the same positions.
Slovaks celebrate St. Nicholas Day today – December 6
To give and not to expect anything in return is the meaning of Saint Nicholas Day (Day of St. Mikuláš) which is celebrated in Slovakia on December 6. This day should remind Christians that God gives them many gifts every day even if they do not necessarily deserving them, the TASR newswire wrote. Children especially look forward to the morning of December 6th as they can find sweets and fruits in their boots that they carefully polish the evening before and then place under the window.
Slovaks will carefully watch their Christmas expenses in 2010
Slovaks will carefully watch their expenses this Christmas, as the economic crisis has affected nearly everybody, Ivana Štefancová from Lyoness Slovakia told the TASR newswire, pointing to poll recently conducted out by her company.
The White Lady of Levoča
A NEW exhibition at the Spiš Museum in Levoča explores whether an 18th century noblewoman known as the “White Lady of Levoča” was a true historical figure or just a legend. The Slovak National Museum opened the exhibition on November 12 and it will run until May 30, 2011.
Philanthropy becomes part of companies’ DNA
AFTER the global economic crisis hit Slovakia, concern arose that companies would severely curb their philanthropic programmes. Experience has not confirmed that dark expectation and companies, rather than throttling down their help, only began to consider more carefully how their financial assistance was to be used and whether it would be effective. After allowing for the impacts of the crisis on company revenues and profits, corporate philanthropy in Slovakia has been finding a firmer and firmer footing and is becoming part of the DNA of an increasing number of businesses. And 20 years after the market economy came to Slovakia, a significant number of business executives, after acquiring significant wealth, are searching for ways to add new dimensions to their lives through philanthropy.
To privatise or not? That is the question
After the 1989 fall of the communist regime of what was then Czechoslovakia, the transfer of property from state ownership into private hands was of the upmost importance, as this was the basic precondition for a transition from the centrally planned economy to the market-driven economy.
Employment relationships in Slovakia
EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTWorking relations must always be based on a written employment contract with at least two signed copies – one for the employer and one for the employee.
Centrope's new website
A NEW web site offering information about Centrope, the central European region made up of parts of four countries, was launched in Vienna in late October by representatives of Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, the ČTK newswire wrote.
First venture philanthropy projects take off in Slovakia
VENTURE philanthropy is an alternative model for giving which has already gained a foothold in Slovakia. Using this approach, non-profit organisations and companies have teamed up with the aim of using the latter’s business experience to help solve the problems of children in orphanages.
Business calls for more flexible labour
Unemployment numbers, although they belong among the highest in the EU area, are far from being market observers’ only concern when looking at Slovakia’s labour market. Employers, foreign investors, and businesses in general keep calling for a more flexible Labour Code. They assert that this would not only help squeeze down the jobless rate but also would allow for a simpler and more transparent funding for the social system, and for better targeted study programmes at Slovak universities.
Investment highlights
November 2009 – The mood in the Slovak economy is continuing to improve. The economic sentiment indicator went up by 2.3 to 77.5 percentage points in October, on a monthly basis, according to the Statistics Office.
Volunteering Slovaks
SLOVAKS are eager volunteers who are active in working with children and teenagers as well as protecting the environment or providing help to those with health-care needs. But many Slovaks would not regularly define themselves as volunteers because recognition of voluntary activities is still very low in Slovakia and the status of volunteers is not yet properly addressed by legislation. A law on volunteering is under preparation which could help support more volunteering and the National Volunteer Centre is planning a new survey next year that will gather more detailed information about volunteer activities in Slovakia.
A year of change in 2010
2010 will undoubtedly be recorded in Slovakia’s modern history as the year of multiple elections, significant political change at the level of state government and the beginning of a national belt-tightening programme to bring the country’s finances into better balance.
Voters pick independents
INDEPENDENT candidates running for posts in municipal councils or seeking to become mayors seem to attract voters by promising that they will be independent of the interests and wishes of political parties if they are elected. And Slovak voters seem to be receptive to this message based on the number of independent candidates who won municipal offices in Slovak towns, villages and cities. But observers say that some of these calling themselves independent may not be as free of party influence as they seem.
The view from the executive suite
Legislative stability with even-handed government policies and regulations, application of the rule of law by an independent and efficient judiciary, and an educational system more responsive to the needs of business: these are three areas that business leaders whose companies have made large investments in Slovakia see as critical elements of an attractive business environment – one that they expect the country to further nurture.
Regulatory policy determines extent of energy investment
The constant need for energy and the predicted growth in energy consumption make the energy sector an attractive target for investors. But since energy is a conservative sector, investments are of a long-term character and investors cannot forget one extremely important factor: state regulation.
Why should Slovakia stay on the FDI train?
Although the global financial downturn has redefined some economic trends, foreign directinvestments (FDI) are still considered one of the key factors in the economic growth of any country.
Staying ahead of the competition
A competitor always wants to stay one step ahead of the competition. Though Slovakia’s adoption of the euro and the country’s higher labour productivity have provided it with a competitive advantage over other central and eastern European countries, if growth stops in other significant indicators or if these indicators improve less vigorously, another regional country could easily surpass Slovakia.
Not taken for granted
RIGHT-WING voters’ support for the main right-wing candidate can not be taken for granted, even if the job of Bratislava’s mayor – consistently filled by centre-right occupants for the last 20 years – is at stake. While this is just one of the lessons that the ruling coalition parties will have to learn from late November’s municipal elections, in which independent left-wing candidate Milan Ftáčnik, who was backed by the opposition Smer party, won the mayoralty of the capital, it is a significant one.
R&D in Slovakia: Waiting to be tapped
Slovakia – with its national population of 5.4 million, around the size of cities such as Singapore, Santiago or Sydney – will probably not grow into a global leader in research and development (R&D) anytime soon, if ever. But just as this 17-year-old country managed to surprise the world by kicking out the former World Cup titleholder Italy from the 2010 football championship and advancing to the semi-finals, Slovakia is ready and capable of producing some surprising results in the R&D world. The potential need needs just to be tapped further.
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- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
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- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
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- From eight to thousands of runners. How Košice marathon rose to prominence Photo
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- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process More articles ›
