What was the subject of the RDS Economic and Labour Market Problem Team meeting on 10 December 2020?
On 10 December 2020, a meeting of the RDS Economic and Labour Market Policy and Labour Market Team took place. The meeting discussed the problems of the need for sustainable structural solutions to maintain employment. Discussions were also held on the draft law amending the Road Traffic Act and certain other laws.
Among the social partners’ demands for solutions to maintain employment were, inter alia, changes to the payment of the parking allowance, including the financing of economic downtime by the State from contributions paid by employees and entrepreneurs and an increase in the reference period by setting up working time accounts. During the discussion, representatives of the workers’ party also drew attention to the need to sign a proper agreement between the trade union organisations and the employer regarding the period during which the outage measures were paid.
With regard to the proposals put forward, the government representative stressed that the introduction of possible unemployment insurance is a major systemic change, not an aid instrument related to the occurrence of a coronavirus pandemic. At the same time, it reported that PLN 104 billion has been allocated to help entrepreneurs since April, including PLN 30 billion to protect jobs, and the unemployment rate remains relatively low. The government also provided information on the so-called industry shield, which in its provisions provides, inter alia, for salary subsidies for persons employed on an employment contract and a contract of assignment. Aid arrangements such as fixed-cost subsidies and change and upskilling subsidies have also been identified.
In the next part of the meeting, the social partners referred to the draft law amending the Law on Road Traffic and certain other laws. As a key demand, the social partners presented an extension of the list of professional qualifications entitling them to apply for the status of diagnostician conducting technical tests of vehicles with a master’s degree in the profession – motor vehicle mechanic.
