Recommendations from the First session of the Working Group 2 – Social Policy and Employment (Chapter 19) – “Social inclusion of vulnerable groups of unemployed persons on the labor market in Republic of Macedonia”

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Redefining the category of unemployed person from the aspect of determining real situation in the domain of the labor market and creating adequate employment policies. The existing regulations discriminate against active jobseekers who, due to irregular reporting, are deleted from the state and government records by denying their right to participate in active measures. To the detriment of this, passive jobseekers may at any time change their status and use the active labor measures at their own request.

2. Greater adaptability of the active labor measures towards the needs of the local economy, taking into account the following activities: trainings for deficient occupations at the local level; introducing internships in deficient occupations with a monetary compensation of 80% of the minimum net monthly salary; establishment of a system of control for regular attendance and adoption of the working contents in implementation of the internship.

3. Continuous activation in the labor market of persons at risk of social exclusion, especially beneficiaries of welfare. Changes in the exercise of the rights stemming from social protection should be aimed at greater activation of the beneficiaries through their very participation in the active employment measures (formal trainings for greater competitiveness in the labor market, trainings for acquiring new skills, retraining and further training).

4. Increased role of Local Employment Centers in creating action plans for employment at local / regional level. Creation of Action Plans at the level of the eight planning regions in the Republic of Macedonia and their financing from the budget of the Employment Service Agency of the Republic of Macedonia.

5. Liberalization in the advertisement of vacancies, providing an opportunity for the employer to state in the advertisement whether it is a formalization of the employment relationship or the need for a new worker as such. The Employment Service Agency of the Republic of Macedonia should register employment with advance labor contracts between the employee and the employer in order to establish the actual number of vacancies.

6. Increasing the cooperation between the Employment Centers and the Centers for Social Work at local level for more effective employment of vulnerable groups. Introduction of mentoring for social inclusion, managed by experts at local Employment Centers and local Centers for Social Work.

7. Transformation of informal into formal jobs, including informal collectors of recyclables, through subsidized employment. Implementation of the criteria for recognized licenses / diplomas acquired through continuing education in the process of systematizing jobs.

9. Encourage partnerships between local authorities, civic associations, enterprises, and other stakeholders for confirmation and development of social entrepreneurship.

10. Encouraging the creation of a network for cooperation of social enterprises in the Republic of Macedonia, as well as the establishment of a Center for Support of Social Entrepreneurship (mapping key actors in this domain, providing consulting services for the establishment of a social enterprise).

11. Providing support for social enterprises by local communities (office space and other logistics). Ensuring the accessibility by social enterprises to the financial resources of the Fund for Innovation and Technological Development, which is currently only used by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy.

12. Directing the socially vulnerable categories of unemployed persons towards activity in social enterprises. Directing a part of the social economy towards an economy of care.

13. Development of an effective and functional social dialogue to protect labor rights.

14. Redefining the composition and the model of functioning of the Economic and Social Council at the national and local level, as well as its alignment with the work of the EU Economic and Social Council, which includes civil society organizations representing different categories of socially vulnerable groups.

15. Adoption of a Law on Social Entrepreneurship that will enable the establishment of a system for support of social entrepreneurship, which will then provide an institutional and financial opportunity for the operation of social enterprises as such.