Background information

Heavy rains between 4 and 6 August 2023 caused devastating floods that claimed several lives, destroyed homes, and swept away roads and infrastructure. Floods and landslides made many sites unreachable, and settlements cut off from access to water, gas and electricity. Half of Slovenian municipalities (or 17,203 square kilometres) were severely hit, particularly the Gorenjska, Štajerska, and Koroška regions. The government’s quick response was aimed at helping people with temporary accommodations, repairing the damage, and keeping people employed. The Act Determining Intervention Measures for Recovery from the Floods and Landslides of August 2023 (ZIUOPZP, issued on 1 September 2023) provides for the issuance of work permits to foreigners engaged in emergency repairs.

Content of measure

The Act Determining Intervention Measures for Recovery from the Floods and Landslides of August 2023 (ZIUOPZP) provides the issuance of work permits to third-country nationals who do not require a visa in Slovenia, in professions urgently needed for flood and landslide relief. It also allows for a quicker start of the service provision by foreign workers employed by foreign employers for the purpose of emergency repairs (so-called posted workers).

The provision primarily refers to workers from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina hired under bilateral employment agreement with Slovenia or individually. Candidates are allowed to work the first three months since the issuance of the permit under the bilateral agreement (or the Employment Service consent) and the application for the single permit, which allows third-country nationals to enter, stay and work in Slovenia.

The Ministry of Labour determines which occupations and sectors are exempt from regular procedures on recruiting third-country nationals. The decision must consider specific conditions and employers' demands in the aftermath of floods.

Use of measure

The Minister of Labour published a decree on 15 September 2023, listing 37 occupations and ten sectors where foreigners can be hired under the priority procedure (following the ZIUOPZP act). The list is restricted to activities required for flood-related repairs and exclusively for works on Slovenian territory. The measure will remain in effect until the end of August 2024.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Other groups of workers	Does not apply to businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government	No special funding required

Social partners

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

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Unknown	Unknown
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

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

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

Employers’ organisations, members of the Economic and Social Council (Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia – GZS, Slovenian Chamber of Commerce – TZS, Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia – OZS, Association of Employers Slovenia – ZDS, Association of Employers in Craft and Small Business of Slovenia – ZDOPS) have blocked negotiations since 20 July 2023. The emergency law was thus prepared without prior negotiation with the social partners.

Views and reactions

No information available.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not sector-specific.

Sources

• 20 July 2023: Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia – GZS, Slovenian Chamber of Commerce – TZS, Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia – OZS, Association of Employers Slovenia – ZDS, Association of Employers in Craft and Small Business of Slovenia – ZDOPS, Letter to the Prime Minister Robert Golob and the president of the ESS Jakob Počivalše (www.ess.si)
• 01 September 2023: Act Determining Intervention Measures for Recovery from the Floods and Landslides of August 2023 (Zakon o interventnih ukrepih za odpravo posledic poplav in zemeljskih plazov iz avgusta 2023, ZIUOPZP (www.pisrs.si)
• 01 September 2023: IUS-INFO, Ukrepi za pomoč prizadetim v avgustovskih poplavah in plazovi (www.iusinfo.si)
• 15 September 2023: Order determining the professions and activities necessary for the elimination and prevention of the consequences of floods and landslides in which foreign workers may be employed (Odredba o določitvi poklicev in dejavnosti, ki so nujni za odpravo in preprečitev posledic poplav in plazov in v katerih se lahko zaposlujejo tuji delavci (pisrs.si)