COVID-19 to be recognised as an occupational disease for all workers and all workers to receive 100% of the salary!
COVID - 19 to be recognized as an occupational disease for all workers and the payment of the absence from work due to infection, isolation or self-isolation, to be 100% of the basic amount of the salary determined by law.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic marked 2020 and caused consequences that are globally unknown. All countries, including ours, public health institutions and other relevant factors faced a completely unknown situation and the response had to be rapid and effective in slowing down and combating the spread of the infection.
Measures of restriction of movement, quarantine, isolation and ban on mass gatherings were some of the new imposed conditions, which according to the guidelines of the scientific and professional institutions in the country were necessary, but at the same time have led to complex changes in the life and work.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, CCM, as a representative union in the country, insisted on social dialogue and adequate involvement of all social partners in the country in creating measures to combat the infection and protect the life and health of the citizens. At the same time, we appealed that it is necessary to undertake activities to maintain business ventures, stabilize the economy and the functioning of the society.
Our goal was in such complex health and life-threatening conditions, the principle of solidarity and respect for human rights, to be the basis for creating the manner and procedure for action of all institutions without discrimination.
The motto of CCM is all together to share the burden caused by the health crisis on a solidarity basis, to ensure the sustainability of the functions of the state, while the life, health and existence of workers and citizens to be an undisputed priority.
The Government have accepted and implemented the first proposals of CCM, as the only representative union in the country, in creating national policies for dealing with the health crisis, which were aimed at preserving jobs and providing assistance to companies, primarily intended for the payment of workers’ salaries.
We have supported measures to protect the chronically ill workers, as well as to protect children and pregnant women.
In order to protect workers who are ill, in isolation or self-isolation due to COVID-19, within the requests submitted to the Government, among other things, CCM had submitted a proposal – an initiative, the salary compensation for absence from work due to infection with Covid 19, isolation and self-isolation to be 100% of the base established by law, for all workers in the public and private sector.
Starting from the difficult existential condition in which a large number of workers found themselves since the beginning of the health crisis, infected by the virus while performing their work tasks, or have been put in self isolation, we have demanded the infection with Covid 19 to be considered as an occupational disease, not only for the health workers, but also for the workers from other activities, employed in the institutions of work places where contact and exposure to Covid 19 is possible, primarily In the Rulebook on the list of occupational diseases, and we have also suggested that this to be regulated by the relevant laws.
The initiative of CCM and the Trade Union for Health, Pharmacy and Social Protection, COVID-19 to be included in the Rulebook for the list of occupational diseases as an occupational disease for the health workers was accepted.
With a Collective Agreement for the police employees, the Macedonian Police Union provided 100% compensation of the salary for the absence from work due to infection from Covid 19, isolation and self-isolation.
The initiative of CCM and the Government, the salary compensation for public sector employees, for absence from work due to infection with Covid 19, isolation and self- isolation to Covid 19, to be 100% of the base determined by law was also accepted.
Employers must provide conditions for the implementation of the measures for workplace hygiene and physical distancing of workers, as well as consider opportunities for work from home with full respect for employment rights.
The need for additional salary allowances for jobs where there is a high exposure to Covid 19, should be subject to ongoing analysis and regulation of the right for all workers who are on this basis at increased risk during their work process.
CCM recommends that most of the issues related to the protection of safety and health of workers in terms of COVID 19, should be regulated by the Collective Agreements at the level of the employer.
Promoting social dialogue at the company level will contribute to greater information, training and empowerment of workers, OSH representatives and union representatives on the consequences that can lead to infectious disease and how to prevent it, ie how to protect themselves and their health, while the economic activities to take place at a stable pace, which will ensure the existence of workers and citizens and the survival of the state.
Joint activity of workers' representatives and employers' representatives is needed to raise public awareness of the role and importance of healthy and safe working conditions in general, with special emphasis on protection of workers' health and lives as a result of the pandemic.
CCM requires joint integrated action of the social partners, the scientific, professional public and the civil sector, because healthy and safe working conditions require a multidisciplinary approach to problem solving.
We need an effective actions, regular control of authorized inspection bodies in order to detect irregularities in due time, to find solutions that will improve OHS working conditions, in accordance with the international standards and recommendations, especially when it comes to the current state of protection and control of the infectious disease caused by the Covid- 19 pandemic.
The consequences of the pandemic can be catastrophic, we call for rapid joint actions of all relevant stakeholders, since we shall all share the burden of the crisis and everything depends on us, whether we shall be up to the task to take actions that will ensure our survival.
Link of the promotional video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ONNR3sOmOU
This activity has been realized within the project "Health and safety in times of COVID-19 pandemic" funded by the ITUC PERC and UNION TO UNION.
