Good evening. Here is theWednesday, July 10edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Slovak industry wants to regulate foreign workers
A manufacturing hall of Kia Slovakia's car plant in Žilina. (source: TASR)
More and more foreigners from third countries are purposefully applying for business permits instead of work permits, threatening Slovak craftspeople, the Association of Industrial Unions and Transport (APZD) claims.
"It is important to regulate the number of foreign labourers with a trade licence and to focus on agencies that offer their work freely," say representatives of Slovak industry. According to them, foreign sole traders perform dependent work, which is a circumvention of the Labour Code and essentially illegal employment.
Moreover, the association claims it is easier for a citizen from a third country to move to other EU countries this way.
Employers in Slovakia have been grappling with a long-term labour shortage. They are trying to address the problem through labourers from third countries, whose numbers are increasing. While the share of people with work permits is decreasing, the number of applications for temporary stays for the purpose of doing business is rising, the association points out.
Foreign workers are motivated to apply for business permits for various reasons. For one, obtaining a business permit is much easier and faster compared to getting a work permit. There is no regulation in this area, says the association. Additionally, in the first year, self-employed individuals are exempt from contributions to the Social Insurance Agency and only pay a minimal health insurance fee. Also, the Labour Code does not apply to self-employed people.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE
Business: The state faces a revenue shortfall after the Slovnaft refinery ignores a special tax.
Opinion: The culture minister's attempt at a folk costume was a disaster.
Slovak Matters: Have you ever thought about why Slovak towns are called what they are called?
If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription with no ads and a print copy of The Slovak Spectator sent to your home in Slovakia. Thank you.
FEATURE STORY
A studied Ukrainian chemist works in a Slovak grocery shop, but she does not complain
“I’m a small woman, but I tell myself I can handle anything,” Yaroslava Lopushanska says, noting that she misses her husband a lot. “And he misses me too.” (source: Elizaveta Blahodarova)
Before the war, the chemist Yaroslava Lopushanska and her husband, a prominent Ukrainian scientist, lived a happy life in Uzhhorod, western Ukraine. They have been together for more than 30 years, but the war divided their family.
"War is evil, stress, pain and tragedy for the whole nation, which will last for years. So many families have lost someone," she says.
In Košice, where she lives and works today, she is happy. The fact that she cannot do the job she was so good at does not make her angry. She hopes that one day, as a chemist, she will be able to help in Slovakia.
She also hopes that someday she and her husband will be together again, without borders and war dividing them.
EVENT
French Day
Imagine strolling through the bustling Main Square in Bratislava, where the air is filled with the aromas of cheeses and sweet desserts from a French market. As you wander, you hear French all around you, soft strains of French music enhancing the festive atmosphere.
Well, you do not have to imagine it. You have the chance to join in celebrating the French national holiday (July 14) on Friday (July 12) in the heart of Bratislava. The programme will kick off at 14:00.
IN OTHER NEWS
From August, drivers will be able to drive on motorways with a one-day motorway vignette. Its price will be €5.40 and it will be valid until midnight of the day of purchase.
President Peter Pellegrini welcomes the decision of US President Joe Biden to strengthen Ukraine's airspace defence. "For Slovakia, as a member of NATO's eastern flank, it is crucial that the air defence of the eastern flank as such is strengthened," said the Slovak president. He confirmed that Slovakia will participate in NATO's overall aid package for Ukraine worth $40 billion and will include these expenditures in its 2 percent defence spending. (TASR)
Half of the people believe that the independence of news reporting of the private television station Markíza and the new public media entity Slovak Television and Radio (STVR) is threatened. Approximately half of the people also rejected the abolition of RTVS and its replacement by the new institution STVR, according to a new Ipsos survey. (Denník N)
The government reportedly distributes subsidies during its meetings outside Bratislava to districts where voters elected coalition mayors. According to the opposition, these districts receive 10-30 times more money than municipalities run by independent or opposition mayors. The Government Office has denied the accusations. (TASR)
After successfully placing the fourth Slovak satellite, GRBbeta, into Earth's orbit, scientists established first contact with it on July 9 at 23:03. The received message indicated that the launch of the Ariane 6 rocket from the spaceport in French Guiana proceeded smoothly. (TASR)
The chair of the Public Procurement Office, Peter Kubovič, will earn a salary of €6,114 a month. The government approved the change on Wednesday.
Lioness Laura with ice-cream in the Košice zoo on July 10, 2024. (source: TASR)
WEATHER FOR THURSDAY: Thursday will be mostly partly cloudy. Showers and thunderstorms may occur sporadically during the day. Daytime temperatures will range from 30°C to 37°C. High-temperature and storm warnings have been issued by the meteorological office. (SHMÚ)
JULY 11 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Milota.
Thank you for subscribing and reading. It means a lot to us.
P.S. If you have suggestions on how our news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
Follow The Slovak Spectator on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram(@slovakspectator).
