Retailers should not increase prices for relief essentials, trade union says
Ljubljana, 11 August - The ZSSS trade union confederation welcomed on Friday the first steps towards post-flooding relief efforts, especially the furlough scheme, under which 80% of pay compensation will be funded by the state. The union called on the retailers not to increase prices of building materials and tools needed in the relief efforts.
Ljubljana
Logo of the ZSSS trade union confederation.
Photo: Bor Slana/STA
File photo
Andrej Zorko, executive secretary at the ZSSS trade union welcomed the increase of compensation from 50% to 80% of pay for all that cannot work due to the situation at the workplace, at home or damaged infrastructure preventing them from coming to work.
As costs of renovation are inevitable and extremely high, "every cent, every euro counts," said Zorko.
The furlough measure should be seen mostly through the lens of maintaining employment and the social security of workers, which will be important even after the work process resumes, said Zorko.
The ban on redundancies for workers on furlough should extend some time after employees return to the workplace, ZSSS believes, proposing a period equal to the time that a worker was on furlough.
Zorko also called on retailers to not raise prices of building materials and tools.
"Experiences and basic economic logic show that a larger demand for a certain material results in higher prices," said Zorko, adding that this not only increases profits for retailers but also decreases the accessibility of much needed materials for many customers.
"It is completely unacceptable that retailers would use the increase in demand, for example for building materials and tools needed for renovation of housing after the floods, to raise prices," Zorko said, instead calling on retailers who can afford it to lower their prices and profit margins as "it would be right and done in solidarity".