Trade unions opt for greater cooperation (source: TASR)
Unionists from the KOVO trade unions organisation operating in Slovak automotive companies have agreed to proceed jointly in collective bargaining. Representatives of basic organisations in the PSA Groupe in Trnava, Kia Motors Slovakia in Teplička nad Váhom near Žilina, and Volkswagen Slovakia in Bratislava signed a memorandum of mutual cooperation and promotion on January 25. They plan to invite other basic organisations in automotive factories all over Slovakia to form closer cooperation of their unions.
The unionists plan to cooperate not only on the issue of higher wages and surcharges for night shifts but also with regard to the growing demand for skilled labourers and their current shortage, high employee turnover, and the issue of employees from abroad, the SITA newswire reported.
Company collective bargaining is currently underway at the Kia factory and last year it took place at Volkswagen. In the coming days collective bargaining will be launched at the Trnava carmaker.
“We are launching this activity at a time of collective bargaining in the largest Slovak automakers, where a lot of people work whose interests we represent,” said the chairmen of the basic organisations. “We want to develop mutual cooperation in line with the principles of mutual trust and support, which is much stronger in the automotive industry as a whole than in the separate labour unions in their factories. The power of the labour unions lies in their alliance and in nation-wide operation, not in division.”
KOVO is the biggest trade union organisation in Slovakia. It has almost 400 basic organisations. It operates in various sectors of the economy including machine engineering, metallurgy, automotive and electrotechnical industries among others.
“The KOVO Trade unions have identified specific features as well as the importance of the automotive industry for Slovakia’s economy and employment,” said Monika Benedeková, deputy chairwoman of KOVO. “Also because of this KOVO have created the automotive commission as a platform for discussion and the closer cooperation of basic organisations in this sector. From the discussions of this commission there has arisen the initiative of the three trade unions organisations operating directly at carmakers to deepen cooperation.”
