• 2014-08-06

How Much Citizens Know About Their Labor Rights

Citizens do not know what is the compulsory period for their employer to report them to authorities, but are aware that they can refuse a job with no safety equipment is provided… These are just some findings of the research related to working environment.

Citizens do not know what is the compulsory period for their employer to report them to authorities, but are aware that they can refuse a job with no safety equipment is provided… These are just some findings of the research related to working environment.

Citizens do not know what is the compulsory period for their employer to report them to authorities, but are aware that they can refuse a job with no safety equipment is provided… These are just some findings of the research with “easy questions” related to working environment, conducted during June-July 2014 within the action for decent work “Black on White” in 12 towns in Serbia. 

Research was conducted in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Zrenjanin, Kikinda, Kladovo, Negotin, Bor, Majdanpek, Zaječar, Knjaževac, Niš and Pirot within the project “More Efficient Civic Role in Monitoring and Protection of Labor Rights” 

implemented by Center for Democracy Foundation with partner organizations "Together Together" and "Dokukino" from Belgrade, "Timok Club" from Knjaževac and "Resource Center" from Majdanpek, and it is supported by USAID through Institute for Sustainable Communities within program “Civil Society Forward” 

3.490 persons participated in this brief research. Up to 400 persons answered all of the 8 questions that were imprinted on “scratch cards” similar to those used for lottery. 

Do we play with our rights? 

43.44% of the interviewed knew the exact number of their daily overtime work and it was 4 hours. Other offered answers were 2, 6 and 8 hours, and unfortunately most interviewees selected the highest numbers of overtime work. 

It is an even result among those who think that instead of using their free/vacation days may receive financial compensation from their employer. Using of yearly free/vacation days is the right guaranteed by the law, it belongs to every employee and nobody can renounce it. 

Undeclared employees, illegal work is one of the biggest problem in this field, but also in the society as a whole. Alarming 73.67% of citizens did not know what is the compulsory period for employers to register them to obligatory social security, while 26.32% knew that it is a 3-day period from the day when they start working. 

In addition, we questioned citizens on the degree of illegal work. 58% citizens considers that 50-70% of employed population is hired this way. Interviewees are not convinced about the information that “only” 30% of employable population is working undeclared. 

When questioning related to the safety and health standards at work, situation significantly improved. 71.1% citizens know that employee may refuse to perform a job for which no safety equipment is provided, but still 28.9% think that employee does not have this right. Potentially, the health of 100 persons from our sample (3.490) can be endangered at their work place from pure ignorance. 

However, the information that citizens are unaware is that even when working undeclared they can report injuries occurred at work. 60.64% of citizens did not know the right answer, while only 39.36% replied correctly. 

Firing pregnant women is the topic leaving nobody indifferent and it attains the deserved attention in media for several years now. Consequently, we consider that the results when answering the question if employer is obliged to prolong time restricted job contract to a pregnant and/or woman who recently gave birth are much better than the rest. 71.1% citizens’ answers were correct and they knew that employer is obliged to prolong the contract until the end of pregnancy and/or maternity relief. 

When harassment on work was in question, exactly one half of the interviewees identified mobbing on an example. 

The results are alarming.

We consider that the overall results are alarming, as well as the opinions of many citizens claiming that it would not mean much to them to know their rights and that there is no efficient sanctioning system for those violating them. Coalition “Black on White” will continue through various channels to provide information on labor rights to citizens, direct them to relevant institutions, which work will be monitored, but we will as we did so far point out to the good practice and conscious/loyal employers. 

We have recorded some testimonies about decent work in Serbia. Video stories present the fight of individuals for their rights and dignity, enterprising, as well as successful stories about workers associating sometimes even on the initiative of their employers. First five stories you can watch on the YouTube channel of Black on White action.