Archive of articles - February 2012, page 7
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Slovak tunnel experts dig in Finland
EXPERTS from Tunely SK, part of the Slovak arm of global construction firm Skanska, headquartered in Sweden, have joined a project to construct a railway line connecting the centre of the Finnish capital, Helsinki, with the city’s main airport at Vantaa. Slovak tunnel-building specialists will carry work worth €1 million and widen an 800-metre section of the tunnel for local company Skanska Infra OY, the SITA newswire reported on February 2.
Protesters tell Harabin to go
A CALL for the departure of Štefan Harabin from his post as president of the Supreme Court was added to the list of demands tabled by the organisers of the Gorilla Protests shortly before street rallies scheduled for mid-February were postponed and replaced by what organisers called public ‘round tables’ and discussions. While the demand for the dismissal of Slovakia’s top judge resonated strongly with the thousands of street protesters, Harabin called the protests a “manipulation” for the benefit of “the most corrupt parties”.
Institutions and organisations in the construction industry in Slovakia
Ministry of Transport, Construction and RegionalDevelopment,www.telecom.gov.skAssociation of Construction Entrepreneurs of Slovakia,www.zsps.sk Building Testing and Research Institute,www.tsus.sk National Highway Company,www.ndsas.sk Slovak Green Building Council,www.skgbc.org Slovak Chamber of Architects,www.komoraarchitektov.sk Slovak Chamber of Civil Engineers,www.sksi.sk Slovak Public-Private Partnership Association,www.asociaciappp.sk State Housing Development Fund (ŠFRB),www.sfrb.sk
Many changes flow from revised Labour Code
Slovakia’s revised Labour Code took effect on September 1, 2011 with the stated goals to bring more flexibility in employment relationships, to create more new jobs and to better protect the most vulnerable employees in the labour market. But the brief time since the changes took effect, the deteriorating economic environment and the possibility that the code may be revised again after the March 10 parliamentary elections, makes it nearly impossible to assess whether the revised code will accomplish its stated objectives.
Unemployment hits new high
Slovakia’s unemployment rate in December 2011 hit a seven-year peak and labour market analysts’ forecasts for 2012 are rather dismal. While employers will continue to seek employees with expert skills and experienced managers who can generate genuine business growth, no effective solution has yet been found for the legions of Slovaks who have low levels of education or those who have been unemployed for a long period. Slovakia’s unemployment rate was 13.59 percent in December 2011, its highest level since July 2004 when the rate stood at 13.65 percent. The number of jobless people ready to immediately take up jobs in December stood at 362,428, an increase of 6,773 persons, or 0.26 percentage points, compared to November 2011. Compared with December 2010, the number of unemployed people increased by 27,525 according to the Labour, Social Affairs and Family Centre (ÚPSVaR).
Pledge signed by eight political parties
RECEIVING cash in plastic bags or not revealing the names of contributors might become a thing of the past in Slovakia after eight parties across the political spectrum signed a pledge to change various ways in which they operate within a year from the March elections. Transparency International Slovakia (TIS), the Institute for Economic and Social Reforms (INEKO) and the Slovak Governance Institute (SGI) asked ten major political parties to agree to the pledge in early February. The NGOs proposed seven specific measures in the pledge, six of which they said are recommendations from the Council of Europe.
More polystyrene consumed
CONSUMPTION of expanded polystyrene (EPS) as an insulation material in Slovakia is growing. During the first nine months of 2011 it grew by 3 percent year-on-year. The Association of Producers, Processors, and Users of Expanded Polystyrene in Slovakia reported the growth on November 2, 2011. Consumption of EPS rose by 10.5 percent to 30,000 tonnes in 2010, thus nearing the record of 30,050 tonnes set in 2008, the SITA newswire wrote.
Biggest construction companies in Slovakia
Ranking of firms according to sales in 2010:1. Doprastav, Bratislava (€311 million)2. ZIPP Bratislava (€273.4 million)3. Strabag, Bratislava (€164.5 million)4. Váhostav-SK, Žilina (€152 million)5. Skanska SK, Bratislava (€126 million)6. Inžinierske Stavby, Košice (€115.9 million)7. Eurovia SK, Košice (€98 million)8. Ingsteel, Bratislava (€85.5 million)
Songbirds online
LIVE audio-visual broadcasts originating from TANAP, the Tatras National Reserve, first began by digitally recording larger animal species and the broadcasts will now be enhanced with the sights and sounds of Slovak songbirds recorded in the garden area near the TANAP administration building.
Bringing a paddleboat and Propeler back on the Danube
A GROUP of civic associations presented four plans at the end of January that they hope will revive several kinds of boating on the Slovak section of the Danube River as well as celebrate the region’s rich history of ships and shipping.
Piešťany unveils its bridge of love
THE SPA town of Piešťany officially opened its “Bridge of the Enamoured” on Valentine’s Day, February 14, where lovers are encouraged to attach small locks to the footbridge.
USA scholarships offered
THE SLOVAK American Foundation (SAF), created last year as a legacy foundation of the Slovak American Enterprise Fund, offers two kinds of scholarships: the Professional Internship Program and the Research Scholar Program. Both programmes have evoked strong interest among Slovaks after concluding two very successful rounds with a high number of applicants.
STU’s architecture faculty celebrates
THE FACULTY of Architecture of Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava celebrated its 35th anniversary as a faculty and 65 years of teaching architecture at STU last October. Architect Emil Belluš had a fundamental influence over the teaching of architecture in Slovakia. Belluš taught first at what was then called SVŠT since 1939, and after World War II put his energy into nurturing architectural education in Slovakia and creating an independent architecture faculty.
Frozen smiles
POLITICAL advertising campaigns reveal what political parties think of their potential voters; what they see as their frustrations, fears and desires. The Slovak National Party (SNS) does not hold the intellect of its potential voters in very high regard, to judge by the billboard campaign it launched recently.
STU’s architecture faculty celebrates
THE FACULTY of Architecture of Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava celebrated its 35th anniversary as a faculty and 65 years of teaching architecture at STU last October. Architect Emil Belluš had a fundamental influence over the teaching of architecture in Slovakia. Belluš taught first at what was then called SVŠT since 1939, and after World War II put his energy into nurturing architectural education in Slovakia and creating an independent architecture faculty.
Searching for a place in a tightening market
It was not so long ago that businesses across Slovakia experienced a sudden drop-off in orders and were forced to lay off employees to survive – and the memory of that crisis is still fresh in the minds of employers. Now, despite forecasts last year that the economy would recover and the labour market would revive, the spectre of recession has returned. The economy might still be experiencing nothing more than a slowdown for now, but employers once again have reason to be cautious. Professionals in the human resources sector, whose job is to keep a finger on the pulse of the labour market, are similarly careful when it comes to making bold predictions for 2012. The Slovak Spectator spoke to them about the prospects for the labour market, the changing conditions for human resources firms and problems in the education system, as well as the shifting expectations of job applicants.
Financial Admin off to a wobbly start
THE INFORMATION system at the newly-created Financial Administration of the Slovak Republic, which merged the work of existing tax and customs authorities at the beginning of 2012, is not working as expected, according to the Sme daily.
Turn off your mobile!
During a concert of classical music in the Prešov synagogue in the summer 2011, a mobile telephone phone rang and a Prešov-born violin player, Lukáš Kmiť, aged 25, showed a moment of surprise and stared into the audience. The phone’s jingle sounded again and Kmiť then immediately mimicked it on his violin in a brief but astounding improvisation. The audience applauded and laughed – and at least one member of the audience recorded a short video that later appeared on YouTube, attracting millions of viewers.
Construction output contracted in 2011
CONSTRUCTION has been one of the hardest hit sectors during the ongoing economic turbulence. And with the fall of the government in Slovakia, the European sovereign debt crisis and more negative economic news recently, industry players expect that the sector could continue to contract in 2012 as well.
Transparency group evaluates anti- corruption efforts by parties and MPs
OPENING Slovakia’s judiciary to better public review and the requirement to publish contracts signed by state institutions on the internet are the two most important legislative measures pushed through by the outgoing government of Iveta Radičová that improve transparency and fight corruption, according to an analysis prepared by Transparency International Slovakia (TIS).
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