WHOLESALE, retail sales, construction, and accommodation and catering services are the sectors with the highest level of illegal work in Slovakia. They make up almost 60 percent of the aggregate fines imposed. The National Labour Inspectorate imposed fines for illegal work exceeding €310,000 during the first half of 2012, the Hospodárske Noviny daily wrote.
Compared with the same period in 2011, fines in construction, retail sales, and accommodation and catering services increased by over 50 percent.
The reason behind this was the inflexible labour market and the repeated revisions to the Labour Code, said an industry observer.
“Illegal work is an indicator of a non-functional labour market, but also barriers in legislation,” said Zuzana Šedivá, the secretary-general of the Association of Hotels and Restaurants of the Slovak Republic.
The Labour Ministry plans to revise the law on illegal work and employment to prevent instances occurring, and to increase penalties.