Background information

In relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Slovak government adopted several measures to alleviate its impact on employers, employees as well as citizens. Many of them were implemented through changes in the Labour Code, Act on Social insurance and other related legislations. For instance, new rules for implementation of homeworking and different types of short-time working schemes included in the First aid package. They had an impact on the operation of companies, employment and working conditions of employees. Oil refinery Slovnaft, a.s. MOL group in Bratislava responded to their implementation in cooperation with the local trade unions.    

Content of measure

Activities of the management and trade unions in Slovnaft company resulted in the conclusion of different agreements between Slovnaft MOL management and local trade unions of ECHOZ, including subcontracts to existing collective agreements. Their content was aimed at keeping the sustainability of production and related service activities of the company during the corona crisis with a lower number of workers active in the company, health protection, prevention of social hardship of COVID-19 pandemic and social security of employees.

Particular attention was paid to the implementation of short-time scheme (kurzarbeit), homeworking and social support to trade union members. Conditions under which these changes will be realised were specified in agreements concluded between management and trade unions. For instance, the implementation of the short-time scheme with 70% wage replacement and homeworking were included in subcontract to company collective agreement.

Use of measure

Agreements between Slovnaft MOL management in Bratislava are also applied to other business units, which are parts of Slovnaft, a. s. MOL group: VURUP research a laboratories and Slovnaft Montáže a opravy, a.s. (assembly and repairs company). The agreements were effective since March 2020 and their implementation resulted in ensuring the continuation of production and services, maintenance of employment in the company and sustainability of social standards of employees working there.  

Contents

• Employment retention
• Health and safety
• Telework
• Work organisation

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Applies to all workers	Companies providing essential services Larger corporations	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
Trade unions Company / Companies	Companies

Social partners

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

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative	Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

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

• Social partners jointly
• Main level of involvement: Company level

Involvement

This is a joint initiative of the management of Slovnaft, a.s. MOL Group in Bratislava and local trade union organisation of Energy-Chemical Trade Union Association (ECHOZ).

Views and reactions

According to the local trade union organisation of ECHOZ, the implementation of temporary agreements with the company management contributed to ensuring the continuity of production in the company as well as providing commercial services and saved the health of employees employed by the company.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 18 March 2020: Opatrenia proti šíreniu koronavírusu v spoločnosti Slovnaft. (slovnaft.sk)