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It’s World Day of safety and health at work!
Textile workers in Romania

It’s World Day of safety and health at work!

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work (28 April) serves to raise awareness about occupational safety and health and gives us an opportunity to talk about the causes of work-related injuries, diseases, and fatalities, and measures to prevent them. This year, on Occupational Safety and Health Day, the focus is on the impact of climate change.

Shaping migration narratives: Insights from the ILO/OSCE E-MINDFUL project
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Migration

Shaping migration narratives: Insights from the ILO/OSCE E-MINDFUL project

The E-MINDFUL project, which closed in December 2023, developed evidence-based and action-oriented guidance, including innovative instruments, that can orientate future communication efforts on migration and migrants.

North Macedonia ratifies the Labour Statistics Convention and the Violence and Harassment Convention
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International Labour Standards

North Macedonia ratifies the Labour Statistics Convention and the Violence and Harassment Convention

North Macedonia becomes the 52nd ILO member State to ratify Convention No. 160, and the 35th to ratify Convention No. 190.

North Macedonia ratifies ILO Convention 190 on Eliminating Violence and Harassment in the world of work
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International Labour Standards

North Macedonia ratifies ILO Convention 190 on Eliminating Violence and Harassment in the world of work

Following the Macedonian Parliament ratification of ILO Convention 190 on Eliminating Violence and Harassment in the World of Work in June 2023, North Macedonia deposited the instrument of ratification of the Convention with the Director-General of the ILO on 20 October. The country is the ninth in Europe to ratify the Convention, which ensures dignity and respect for all workers.

Retrospective on challenges and successes - Interview with Markus Pilgrim, Director of ILO Central and Eastern Europe stepping down
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Staff news

Retrospective on challenges and successes - Interview with Markus Pilgrim, Director of ILO Central and Eastern Europe stepping down

Markus Pilgrim retires after long and successful service at the ILO. During his tenure as Director, the ILO Central and Eastern Europe Office managed to further raise its profile as a specialised technical agency on world of work issues and to expand its portfolio.

Workers’ rights in Europe in decline, says ITUC Global Rights Index 2023
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Trade unions

Workers’ rights in Europe in decline, says ITUC Global Rights Index 2023

In July 2023, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) released its 10th Global Rights Index. The report paints a grim picture of workers’ rights around the globe. According to ITUC, Europe is no longer a bastion of workers’ rights.

North Macedonia and ILO sign framework programme for cooperation to deliver decent work
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Decent Work Country Programme

North Macedonia and ILO sign framework programme for cooperation to deliver decent work

The ILO, the Government, trade unions, and employers' organizations of North Macedonia have signed the new framework programme for cooperation with the ILO that will guide the work on delivering decent work in 2023-2025 in the country.

How to keep the lights on -- Medium and large companies left without support on liberalized energy market in North Macedonia
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Energy crisis

How to keep the lights on -- Medium and large companies left without support on liberalized energy market in North Macedonia

The high cost of doing business, mainly caused by a sharp increase of energy prices, has eroded the competitive capacity of Macedonian enterprises, according to a recent enterprise survey the Organization of Employers of Macedonia carried out with ILO support.

What are the proven means to reduce informality?
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Three essential questions

What are the proven means to reduce informality?

In our series of interviews with leading researchers, economists and policymakers, we interviewed Professor Ioana Alexandra Horodnic, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University of Iași, Romania on how informality (including “envelope wages”) affects workers and society, and what measures work best in reducing it.

ITUC Global Rights Index 2022 shows that many workers in Central and Eastern Europe have no access to rights
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Workers' rights

ITUC Global Rights Index 2022 shows that many workers in Central and Eastern Europe have no access to rights

In July 2022, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) released its yearly Global Rights Index. It shows that in Europe, the most frequently violated rights have been the right to strike and the right to bargain collectively. Through ratifications of ILO Conventions, governments of Central and Eastern Europe made obligations to implement workers’ rights. In reality, many workers face obstacles in accessing their rights.

North Macedonia: Raising the minimum wage to combat working poverty
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Increase of minimum wage

North Macedonia: Raising the minimum wage to combat working poverty

The Government of North Macedonia recently raised the legal minimum wage by 18% to 18,000 denars (290 EUR). Almost one out of five workers in the Southeast European country will benefit from this increase. The ILO provided technical assistance and supported discussions of government and social partners.

How nearshoring may create opportunities for the Western Balkan economies?
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Job creation in the Western Balkans

How nearshoring may create opportunities for the Western Balkan economies?

In this issue of short interviews with important researchers and practitioners from Central and Eastern Europe on burning questions concerning labour and social policies, we talked to Zuzana Zavarska, Economist at the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies. We asked her to explain how nearshoring may create economic opportunities for the Western Balkans.

“Virtual” is now a TVET training reality in North Macedonia
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Vocational education

“Virtual” is now a TVET training reality in North Macedonia

When mishandling equipment can cause damages or even fatal accidents, investment into quality training is indispensable. This holds especially true for electrotechnical professions. In North Macedonia, the ILO and partners introduced for the first time a virtual reality training for 300 future electrotechnicians in five vocational schools across the country.

Information is power: new web application protects workers’ rights in North Macedonia
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New trade union services to workers

Information is power: new web application protects workers’ rights in North Macedonia

The Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia (SSM) with ILO assistance developed a web application which enables reporting labour rights violations to trade unions and ultimately to the State Labour Inspectorate. Since its launch on 23 April 2021, 3000 workers received legal advice based on the 95 reports sent through the application, mostly in cases related to delayed salaries, overtime work, right to minimum wage, allowances and salary contributions. Meet Martina Angelova, one of the beneficiaries of the new platform.

Workers’ education level for their jobs: is it a match in South East Europe?
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Latest labour survey data

Workers’ education level for their jobs: is it a match in South East Europe?

Many people are working in jobs that do not match their level of education. At the same time, many employers claim to have difficulties in finding workers with the skills that they need to expand their business and innovate successfully. This phenomenon points to a significant disconnect between the world of education and the world of work.

Youth Guarantee garners speed in the Western Balkans
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ILO/EU partnership

Youth Guarantee garners speed in the Western Balkans

Inspired by similar schemes in the EU Member States, a youth guarantee is a commitment to support every young person under the age of 30 who is not employed, in education or training (so-called NEETs). This commitment entitles young people to receive a good quality offer of employment, traineeship, apprenticeship, or continued education and training within four months of leaving school or becoming unemployed.

Three essential questions to Aleksandar Ristovski, Professor of Labour Law, Skopje
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Labour rights infringed during the pandemic

Three essential questions to Aleksandar Ristovski, Professor of Labour Law, Skopje

In the third issue of short interviews with important researchers and practitioners from Central and Eastern Europe on burning questions concerning labour and social policies, we talked to Aleksandar Ristovski, Professor of Labour Law at ‘Ss. Cyril and Methodius’ University in Skopje, North Macedonia. We asked him about the restriction of labour rights following the COVID-19 crisis, particularly those of the most vulnerable, and about how to guarantee labour rights as we are building back better.

Three Essential Questions: Interview with Réka Sáfrány, President of European Women's Lobby
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Job-rich recovery for women

Three Essential Questions: Interview with Réka Sáfrány, President of European Women's Lobby

This is the second issue of short interviews with important researchers and practitioners from Central and Eastern Europe on burning questions concerning labour and social policies. The interviewee this time is Réka Sáfrány, newly elected President of the European Women's Lobby. We asked her about women's labour participation in the region, why the pandemic hit women disproportionally and the most vulnerable within this group of workers.

ITUC Global Rights Index for 2021 shows that COVID-19 impacted workers’ rights in Central and Eastern Europe
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ILO support for Trade Unions during the pandemic

ITUC Global Rights Index for 2021 shows that COVID-19 impacted workers’ rights in Central and Eastern Europe

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has released its yearly Global Rights Index for 2021. The report shows that the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in violations of workers’ rights across the globe. In Europe, the most frequently violated rights have been the rights to strike, to go for collective bargaining, and to establish and join a trade union. For Central and Eastern Europe, the index shows a mixed picture. While some countries increased workers’ access to rights, other countries moved in the opposite direction.

The European Commission and the ILO join forces to support young people
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Introducing a youth guarantee (YG) in the Western Balkans

The European Commission and the ILO join forces to support young people

A new EC/ILO Technical Assistance Facility set up to pursue youth employment in the Western Balkans.