DPM Pažin hosts representatives of ZIKS trade union

The Ministry of Justice is ready to work intensively, alongside the trade union of the Institution for Execution of Criminal Sanctions (ZIKS), on improving the working conditions and solving the status issues of the employees in this Institution, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Zoran Pažin said at the meeting with representatives of the ZIKS trade union.

The Ministry of Justice and the trade union of ZIKS are on the same task to strengthen the institutional and human resources of the Institution and to improve the position of employees. I have a lot of understanding for demands you make and I will promote their fulfillment to the fullest extent possible by the legal solutions and the available financial resources, DPM Pažin said.

The interlocutors agreed to intensify the work on harmonizing the Collective Agreement, with the assessment that the representatives of the Ministry of Justice express a lot of understanding and support for all the argued proposals of the trade union representatives. In this regard, it has been agreed that the proposal of the Collective Agreement will be agreed in the earliest possible time and sent to the Ministry of Finance, as certain solutions to this regulation will be conditioned by the available financial resources.

Within discussion on human resources and job vacancies at the Institution, it was pointed out that there are currently 490 employees in the ZIKS, of whom about 85% are security officers. It is reported that, according to the increase in the funds for the salaries of employees provided by the 2018 Budget Law, the procedure of obtaining 29 full-time employees for an indefinite period of time is ongoing. It is also planned to employ additional 12 employees during this year, after which the employment in the Institution will be more than 92%. The Deputy Prime Minister pointed out that, through the continuation of the recruitment process and the professional training of trainees and employees, they will work actively on strengthening human resources, but also on strengthening the skills and competences of employees in the Institution.

In order to continuously monitor the activities to improve the status and working conditions of the employees at the Institution, the interlocutors agreed to meet again soon. In this regard, it was jointly stated that the public statement that the trade union representatives unsuccessfully tried to agree meeting with DPM Pažin for a year and a half was inaccurate, since today's meeting took place only a few days after it was requested.