Background information

On 7 July 2021, the Parliament adopted the ninth COVID-19 law (ZIUPGT). It aims at supporting the economy affected by the pandemic due to confinement measures that prevented companies from operating their economic activity or a specific and severable part of their activity. Apart from a set of measures to sustain the sectors most hit by the pandemic – read more on the Eurofound website, Case SI-2020-18/908 –, this measure addresses the operators of teleferics, funiculars, ski and cable lifts specifically.

Content of measure

The measure helps operators of teleferics, funiculars, ski and cable lifts with the partial reimbursement of lost income due to confinement measures. Operators are entitled to a 40% reimbursement of lost income from selling ski tickets compared to ski season 2017/2018, 2018/2019 and 2019/2020.

The operator must meet the following conditions:

• Operator must hold a valid business permit for at least 50% of its transport equipment between 15 December 2020 and 15 April 2021.
• Operator must hold a valid ski area permit.
• Operator must meet weather and snow conditions for skiing for at least 20 days in a small ski area and 60 days in other ski areas.
• Company was not a 'firm in difficulty', as defined in Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 and related documents, on 31 December 2019.
• The total subsidy cannot exceed €1.8 million. The measure does not preclude other support mechanisms, but the total amount cannot go beyond the maximum level.

The claimants receive at least the minimum subsidies:

1. €500 per rope tow,
2. €1,000 per surface lift,
3. €3,750 per chairlift,
4. €5,250 per cabin lift,
5. €6,100 per cable car.

Use of measure

The Ministry of Infrastructure manages applications submitted until 13 September 2021.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Sector specific set of companies	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government	European Funds National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	Consulted
Form	Not applicable	Direct consultation outside a formal body

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

The ninth COVID-19 law was adopted without the Economic and Social Council (ESS) involvement. Trade unions left ESS on 14 May 2021, accusing the government of breaching the rules on tripartite social dialogue and sending laws to the parliament without prior negotiations in ESS. Apart from procedural breaches, tax reform was one of the content-related issues which drove trade unions into conflict with the government. They oppose the introduction of the social security cap and other ‘tax gifts’ on the ground that tax cuts would generate a hole in tax revenues and jeopardize social services. They announced the escalation of social conflicts in the following months

Views and reactions

Employer organizations proposed a one-time grant for all companies, partially or fully prevented from operating their economic activities due to confinement measures. Their proposal was not accepted. Not accepted were also their proposals to extent temporary layoff scheme (see [Eurofound website, Case SI-2020-11/436] (https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/SI-2020-11_436.html)) and a €50 reimbursement of the minimum wage (see [Eurofound website, Case SI-2021-1/1781] (https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/SI-2021-1_1781.html) until 31 December 2021

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 01 July 2021: Representative employer organizations, Press Releas (www.zds.si)
• 07 July 2021: Zakon o interventnih ukrepih za pomoč gospodarstvu in turizmu pri omilitvi posledic epidemije COVID-19 (Act Determining Intervention Measures to Assist Economy and Tourism in Mitigating the Consequences of the COVID-19 Epidemic, ZIUPGT (www.iusinfo.si)