Press & Comms

Press & Comms Press and communications tlacove@ruzsr.sk +421 2 33014280 The PR and Comms Department is responsible for the external communication of NUE with the media and individual journalists through replies to journalistic questions, press releases, and official opinions of NUE, as well as press conferences. You can send your journalistic questions to: press@ruzsr.sk.

Other team members

Katarína Marenčák

Project manager Absolvovala Fakultu manažmentu Univerzity Komenského. V RÚZ pôsobí od roku 2020 na pozícii Projektov...

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Martin Hošták

Executive Secretary Martin Hošták je od roku 2006 tajomníkom RÚZ – v roku 2023 sa stal generálnym sekretárom RÚZ – slove...

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Petra Podhorcová

spokeswoman Vyštudovala žurnalistiku na Filozofickej fakulte Univerzity Komenského. Má dlhoročné skúsenosti s pr...

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Social dialogue is stuck during pandemic stale-less high-quality legislation is the result

#social dialogue

Press & Comms

While Slovakia is struggling with fundamental health and social challenge in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic, attention is paid in particular to the effectiveness of government measures to help overcome it. However, the negative impacts on employers and employees - which these extraordinary measures often have - remain a somewhat overlooked aspect. Employers, associations in The National Union of Employers (NUE), points out that, in addition to efforts to overcome the pandemic, it is also crucial that business opportunities and individual jobs are maintained – which is precisely what will ensure the stability of the economy even after the loosening of anti-epidemic measures.

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Employers warn of possible destabilisation of energy sector – they have a number of reservations about the adoption of new legislation

#press releases

Press & Comms

Employers, associations in the National Union of Employers (NUE), are concerned about the process of adopting a law on the tax on excess profits in the trading of electricity produced by a nuclear installation. They point out that the fact that the government again circumvents the standard legislative process and adopts the law without due comment is an expression of non-respect for the pre-election promises and commitments of members of the ruling coalition, but also of the basic principles of the rule of law. The NUE therefore calls on the competent authorities to withdraw the bill from the sitting of parliament and, together with all the entities concerned, to start discussing systemic solutions for increasing energy prices as soon as possible.

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Although in the district form, but still - employers welcome the adoption of the amendment to the Higher Education Act

#press releases

Press & Comms

The end of empty phrases - an amendment to the Higher Education Act has become a reality - has been approved by members of parliament. Although the law was approved in a limited form, employers, associations in the National Union of Employers (NUE) nevertheless welcome its adoption. They consider the deputies' decision to be a good start for the return of quality and confidence in Slovak higher education, as well as for the prospective reduction of the outflow of Slovak students abroad.

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Employers and employees are in the same boat - unless they keep up with the digital age, they will have to face hard times

#education

Press & Comms

Employers of associations in the National Union of Employers (NUE) met with representatives of trade unions, government representatives, and members of the European Parliament. Together, they discussed not only the current state of Slovakia's digital competitiveness but also the real possibilities of fulfilling the framework agreement of the European social partners in the field of digitization. That the world is in the process of the fourth Industrial Revolution is an indisputable fact. The changes that these industrial revolutions have brought so far have had a radical impact on employees. A large part of the jobs has disappeared, but an even larger part has been created and others have undergone a significant change in qualification requirements.

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Employers are demanding more effective tools for controlling employees

#covid-19

Press & Comms

Employers of the NUE demand more effective tools to control the vaccination of their employees. Companies also lack an evaluation of the anti-pandemic measures from the first two waves of the pandemic and, on that basis, a comprehensive strategy to combat the pandemic.

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An event that finally provokes a response: the debate on higher education reform is advancing, employers are making concrete proposals to improve the quality of higher education

#press releases

Press & Comms

The amendment to the Act on Higher Education (Colleges and Universities), introduced by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports (MŠVVaŠ) SR, triggered an avalanche of emotions on the part of academia and finally activated a society-wide debate on and job-ready graduates. While the academic community has been focusing on petitions and organizing protests against the proposed changes in recent weeks, employers and associations in the National Union of Employers (NUE) want to contribute constructively to the discussion - they are coming up with concrete proposals on how to move Slovak higher education forward and bring it closer to the quality level of advanced countries.

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Where will $33 billion end up? The government is far behind in drawing EU funds – Slovakia could lose billions

#press releases

Press & Comms

In the next five years alone, the Slovak government is to ensure that more than thirty-three billion euros of contributions from european Union (EU) resources are to be drawn down. However, employers, associations in the Republican Union of Employers (NUE), point out that the multibillion-dollar package to be used for the development of Slovakia is unlikely to be exhausted by the government's current system. Due to overly strict control and overly administratively demanding processes or slow absorption, Slovakia could lose billions of euros.

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6CEE DECLARATION OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN EMPLOYERS

#press releases

Press & Comms

The current energy crisis resulting especially from the war in Ukraine, marked by unseen scarcity and price hikes in the EÚ, represents an unprecedented challenge for the industries of Central and Eastern Europe. With up to 6 to10 fold increases in electricity and gas prices in the course of this year compared to 2021, the survival of companies in entire sectors is at risk.

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Employers welcome the political agreement on the abolition of concessionary fees

#press releases

Press & Comms

Employers associated in the National Union of Employers (NUE) welcome the political agreement on the abolition of concessionaire fees. It was the RÚZ that for a long time publicly pointed out that the collection of concession fees is inefficient, administratively demanding and significantly harmful to the business sector - employers had to pay the fees for years despite the fact that neither they nor their employees used television in the workplace.

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Companies urgently need a game changing EU solution on energy and effective policies to improve competitiveness

#EU

Press & Comms

Today, the Presidents of BusinessEurope’s 40 member federations gathered in Stockholm at the invitation of the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise. They presented their priorities for the future Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Minister for European Affairs Jessika Roswall. They also discussed how the EU should support the industry during the energy crisis while preserving the Single Market with Commissioner Thierry Breton.

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Trends Shaping the Future of Work in CEE

#press releases

Press & Comms

4th of May 2022 - Today we launch the “Trends Shaping the Future of Work in CEE” report, under the WorkTransitionCEE project umbrella. The report explores the available pathways to progress and how can the CEE countries become the frontrunners of the digital transformation for the benefit of employers and employees alike.

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Declaration on Fit for 55 package

#press releases

Press & Comms

We, as the representatives of the industry and employers’ associations of the Central and Eastern European region, acknowledge the objectives of the EU Green Deal and its “Fit for 55” update and are ready to contribute responsibly to the EU climate neutrality target by 2050. Such profound transformation, however, is an unprecedented technological and economic challenge, requiring enormous capital spending on research and development, rethinking of production processes, and deploying breakthrough technologies to deliver substantial emission reductions.

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WORK TRANSITION IS A CLICK AWAY

#WorkTransitionCEE

Press & Comms

WorkTransitionCEE project is launching a dedicated website

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Instead of support in the crisis period, the government is pushing employers into a corner with additional burdens and taxes - the united employer sector in Slovakia warns

#press releases

Press & Comms

Employers associated with the National Union of Employers (NUE), the Association of Employers' Unions and Associations of the Slovak Republic (AZZZ), the Association of Industrial Unions and Transport (APZD), as well as the American Chamber of Commerce in the Slovak Republic (AmCham) sharply criticized the intention of the coalition deputies from the OĽANO side to taxation of selected enterprises. They point out that the proposal is significantly discriminatory and may even lead to liquidation for many businesses in connection with the energy crisis. In addition, the largest employers' organizations emphasize that in Slovakia, for months, there has been repeated circumvention of the proper legislative process and abuse of the position of coalition parliament members. They demand the immediate withdrawal of the bill from the parliament.

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Joint declaration of employers in support of vaccination

#covid-19

Press & Comms

We, the employers who create job opportunities throughout Slovakia, express our full support to the health professionals in the hospitals in the covid wards. We highly value their extremely demanding work and continuous commitment in difficult conditions in order to save the health and lives of many of our colleagues.

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Decision in favor of the competitiveness of the domestic energy-intensive industry: employers welcome the increase in resources from the Environmental Fund

#press releases

Press & Comms

At the end of last year, the Minister of the Environment, Ján Budaj, announced that the contributions from the Envirofond for Slovak industry would increase from the original three to eleven million euros. Employers of associations in the Republican Union of Employers (RÚZ) welcome this decision and consider it a good step that will help maintain the competitiveness of the Slovak energy industry.

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Employers are preparing for the start of the omicron: there is a risk of the staffing shortage

#press releases

Press & Comms

According to experts, the massive expansion of the omicron may cause a sudden loss of tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of employees in various sectors of the economy as early as the end of January. Employers of associations in the National Union of Employers (NUE) warn that the loss of employees in companies can be massive, in this regard, they have several requirements for the government.

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Employers oppose road blockade - protests could cause widespread damage

#press releases

Press & Comms

Employers' associations in the National Union of Employers (NUE) are openly opposed to massive roadblocks and individual border crossings. They are responding to a series of protests by road hauliers that continue today. They point out that the extensive restrictions caused by the protests are causing extensive damage to the entire logistics chain, the supply of goods and the Slovak economy.

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Employers condemn Russia's attack on Ukraine and are ready to help

#press releases

Press & Comms

Employers associated in the National Union of Employers (NUE) publicly condemn the Russian Federation's attack on Ukraine. They point out that Russia, through its violent and barbaric actions, has grossly violated all the principles on which advanced international law operates. Crossing the borders of the sovereign and sovereign state that Ukraine is and the subsequent unleashing of a military conflict are considered unacceptable. They therefore call on politicians to stop politicizing, to take a united stand and to provide immediate assistance to Ukraine and its people in these difficult times.

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Employers are running out of patience - even after months, the government does not have a comprehensive aid plan for energy-intensive businesses or large industrial customers

#press releases

Press & Comms

Employers demand the speedy launch of effective assistance for energy-intensive enterprises in connection with the energy crisis. Key tripartite employers' organizations point out that, despite the situation's urgency, solutions on the necessary scale are still in sight. The proposals presented so far are insufficient and targeted only at smaller energy consumers. Still, they do not provide the necessary relief for energy-intensive businesses, which are the backbone of the Slovak economy.

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Industry 4.0: The revolution has begun, the disappearance or change of thousands of jobs is approaching, NUE presents a rescue plan

#digitalization

Press & Comms

As many as 65 percent of today's elementary school students will take up jobs in the future that do not yet exist. In the context of Industry 4.0, Slovakia is one of the most vulnerable OECD countries - up to two out of three jobs will soon be threatened here as a result of the Industrial Revolution. The changes that will occur in the coming years will have a radical impact on the Slovak labor market. The number of people of working age will drop significantly, the problem will be significant aging of the population and brain drain abroad. In what directions will the occupations and jobs change? What skills do people have to acquire in order not to lose their careers? The answers to these questions are provided by the strategic document Job 4.0 from the NUE experts.

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Vote for the Bureaucratic Nonsense of 2022

#press releases

Press & Comms

For the eleventh time, entrepreneurs have the opportunity to select the Bureaucratic Nonsense of the Year and, through this "anti-price", direct the attention of the competent to legislative measures that unnecessarily complicate their lives and point out the consequences of poor quality in the adopted legislation.

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Cohesion is key - European employers fully support action against Russia, stress the need for the Union's energy independence

#press releases

Press & Comms

European employers, associated in BusinessEurope, fully support the sanctions decided by the European Union (EU) authorities in connection with Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They point out that this is an unprecedented violation of international law and the most serious security crisis since World War II at stake, which is peace, freedom and human lives. They emphasize that it is the duty of the EU, government officials and the third sector to defend international law and to support Ukraine and its people as much as possible. At the meeting of the BusinessEurope Council of Presidents, European business leaders agreed on a joint message ahead of the summit of heads of state, which is taking place in Versailles these days.

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Employers positively accepted the Prime Minister's offer for a joint discussion - though they hope that it does not come too late

#press releases

Press & Comms

Slovak employer associations welcome the offer Eduard Heger government at a joint meeting. You call on the government to engage in constructive social dialogue and believe that the dates for meetings with the social partners will not come until key changes in corporate taxation have been approved.

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Employers sound the alarm: the coalition crisis has become another pretext for parliamentary anarchy

#press releases

Press & Comms

Taxation of oil, restrictions on the sale of certain goods, or several changes in the area of taxes - are just some of the points of the upcoming meeting of the National Council of the Slovak Republic (NR SR). Employers associated with the National Union of Employers (NUE) have identified up to a hundred different bills that will directly impact the business environment. They draw attention to further circumvention of the regular legislative process, which confirms that draft laws are introduced without discussion, literally at the last moment, primarily from coalition MPs.

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Competitive businesses and skilled employees – let's prepare together for the challenges of the future

#press releases

Press & Comms

The world of work is facing profound changes caused by the digital transformation of society. Automation and Industry 4.0 are gradually transforming traditional production processes into more modern and intelligent ones, bringing opportunities and risks for businesses and their workers. Therefore, employers associated with the National Union of Employers (NUE) have joined forces with social partners from Romania and other international organizations. As part of the international project "Challenges from the time of the pandemic: lifelong learning in Slovakia and Romania," - AdultLearningROSK helps businesses and their employees learn from the pandemic experience and thus better prepare for the future.

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What does the future hold for the industry in a climate-neutral Europe?

#press releases

Press & Comms

Green sustainability versus functionality and competitiveness of European and Slovak industry. The ambitions of the European Commission (EC) in the field of green transformation versus their actual feasibility in practice. How to ensure that the European Union's (EU) strategic objectives are met without adverse effects on the Member States of the Union and the industries of the economies?

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Educating for the future - preparing students for the green labor market

#environment

Press & Comms

Environmental protection and the green economy are on the rise - current trends are placing increasing emphasis on environmental friendliness and long-term sustainability in all areas of social life and the economy, including industry. The production of individual products uses less and less energy and uses sustainable and recyclable materials. Labor market requirements are changing - the question of how to obtain future experts in the field of green economy is increasingly being debated. Therefore, NUE has prepared a study that examines the possibilities of creating a new group of teaching and study fields of education that reflect the green transformation of society.

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The war in Ukraine versus the conflict EU climate goals - What will be the future of industry in a climate-neutral Europe?

#EU

Press & Comms

A panel discussion entitled "The future of industry in a climate-neutral Europe" took place on 14 March 2022. Representatives of employers, employees, the third sector and the state administration discussed together how the war in Ukraine could affect the Union's ambitious climate goals or how to ensure the EU energy security and independence.

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A dynamic construction market worthy of the 21st century - employers support the adoption of new building regulations

#press releases

Press & Comms

Employment, the National Union of Employers (NUE) and the Association of Construction Entrepreneurs of Slovakia (ACES), support the adoption of the proposed building codes, i. j. the Spatial Planning Act and the Construction Act. According to them, the proposals approved by the government have the potential to eliminate the shortcomings and holes in construction law that Slovakia has been struggling with for years. They emphasize that the current, almost 50-year-old building law, to respond to the needs of the present and our country has been doing more harm for years than to date.

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MPs of Smer-SD are abusing the non-existent agreement in the amendment of the Labor Code

#press releases

Press & Comms

Employers associated in the National Union of Employers (NUE) draw attention to further contradictory statements of the opposition Smer-SD in connection with the amendment to the Labor Code, which envisages the re-linking of wage supplements for work during weekends and at night to the minimum wage. They consider the information about the alleged agreement on the introduction of "compensation for employers" to be misleading and continue to demand the withdrawal of the proposal from the deliberations of the National Council of the Slovak Republic (NR SR).

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We need cohesion policy today more than ever

#EU

Press & Comms

The eighth annual Cohesion Forum is currently taking place in Brussels. The top government officials of the Member States, representatives of the European institutions, academia, but also economic and social partners from all over Europe - thousands of people gathered at this event for the sole purpose of openly discussing the challenges facing the European Union (EU). and the possibilities for close cooperation between the individual states of the Union.

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The purchase of energy and gas is a complete lottery - employers call on the government to present a crisis plan for solutions as soon as possible, the energy crisis affects us all, they refer

#press releases

Press & Comms

Employers associated with the National Union of Employers (NUE) demand that the government adopts a comprehensive plan to help the Slovak industry as quickly as possible in connection with the energy crisis. They point out that the consequences of massive energy price increases are felt by all sectors, and without the immediate adoption of systemic measures, the following months will be fatal for many businesses. According to them, limiting production, suspending production, closing operations, and mass layoffs may soon become a reality in Slovakia.

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Prague declaration - BusinessEurope´s council of presidents

#EU

Press & Comms

The increasingly tense geopolitical situation and the consequences of the ongoing war in Ukraine, that is the key task of restoring security, stability and prosperity to Europe lies on the Czech Republic, which will chair the Council of the European Union for six months and thus BusinessEurope. It is in this context, at the invitation of the Czech Confederation of Industry and Transport, the Presidents of BusinessEurope, from fourty member employers' organizations, met in Prague to jointly define the priorities of the Czech Presidency.

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Employers are again asking parliamentary party leaders to stop legislative anarchy

#press releases

Press & Comms

Employers associated with the National Union of Employers are calling on the coalition and opposition parties to stop the legislative anarchy in the form of several parliamentary proposals that significantly harm the business environment. The companies are asking the leaders of the parliamentary parties that all these proposals should be withdrawn at the current meeting of the National Council of the Slovak Republic.

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Employers: Collecting political points is more important to MPs than the future of the country

#press releases

Press & Comms

In a joint statement, the APZD, the AZZZ, the NUE, the ZMOS, and Klub 500 express their deep disappointment at the approach of the members of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, who prefer cheap populism and collecting electoral votes to the prosperity of Slovakia. Increasing companies' costs through an amendment to the Labor Code without any reasonable justification and discussion is considered by company representatives to be a highly irresponsible gamble with the entire economy and the future of Slovakia.

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Employers are calling on members of parliament to postpone the deadline for mandatory reporting of partners' data to the commercial register

#press releases

Press & Comms

Employers associated in the National Union of Employers (NUE) call on the coalition deputies to postpone the obligation to report the identification data of partners to the commercial register to a later date. The addition of data was supposed to happen automatically, but due to the state's error, thousands of shareholders and partners are forced to submit to the commercial register, which causes unnecessary financial, administrative and time costs for entrepreneurs and the state itself.

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The extraordinary taxation of Russian oil will bring further increases in costs and prices for businesses

#press releases

Press & Comms

During the next few days, members of the National Council of the Slovak Republic (NR SR) will discuss the extraordinary taxation of Russian oil. Employers associated with the National Union of Employers (NUE) strongly object to this plan - they point out that the negative consequences of the possible introduction of the tax will be felt not only by manufacturing companies but also by ordinary consumers.

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Rising costs and new restrictions - employers criticize more parliamentary proposals that no one cares about

#press releases

Press & Comms

Members of the Slovak Parliament have already moved several parliamentary proposals to the second reading, which fundamentally increase the tax and levy burden on employers and will have significant negative impacts on domestic businesses. Proposals continue to be created behind closed doors and without professional discussion with employers. The largest employers' unions and organizations criticize this procedure and request the withdrawal of proposals.

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Unacceptable for the employers: MPs want to raise taxes without any discussion

#press releases

Press & Comms

On August 26, 2022, with almost 100 other draft laws, an amendment to the Act on a special levy from businesses in regulated industries was submitted to the National Assembly of the Slovak Republic, which MP Milan Vetrák submitted. From the point of view of employers, the amendment belongs to the draft laws with the worst impact on the business environment, which under no circumstances should be proposed in the form of a parliamentary proposal but should be submitted to a regular legislative process that allows for the evaluation of its short-term and long-term impacts on the economy and society. The absence of serious analysis or strategy in preparing this proposal is underlined by the explanatory report, which does not consider the increase in the tax and levy burden for most of the affected companies by millions of euros per year to hurt the business environment.

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ONLINE EXPERT MEETING /INDUSTRY 4.0: Strategic employee involvement in digital transformation of oil, gas and coal mining and supply companies

#digitalization

Press & Comms

The moderator opened the online expert meeting and welcomed the project partners on behalf of the project leader OZZGNIG Poland - Ogólnopolski Związek Zawodowy Górnictwa Naftowego i Gazownictwa. He also presented the agenda for the day and summarized the next steps that will be developed in the project.

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The cooperation of the social partners must become a priority – high-quality and functional social dialogue (not only) in times of crisis is essential.

#press releases

Press & Comms

For more than two years in Slovakia, one crisis alternates with another. In addition to new challenges in the form of a pandemic or an energy and inflation crisis, our country also has to deal with unstoppable global technological progress and profound changes in the labor market. Today, employers associated with the National Union of Employers (NUE) jointly discussed how to ensure that companies and their employees can keep up with the accelerated transformation of the labor market with representatives of the Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization of the Slovak Republic (MIRRI), universities, as well as with social partners from Slovakia and Romania.

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BusinessEurope publishes its Reform Barometer 2023

#EU

Press & Comms

BusinessEurope’s Reform Barometer looks at the global competitiveness performance of Europe on the basis of key indicators covering taxation and public finances, business environment, innovation and skills, access to finance and financial stability. Moreover, complementing the European Commission’s yearly European Semester consultation that suggests reform policies that can boost sustainable growth in Member States, we carry out a similar business semester process to lay out clear policy recommendations about how we can help our European companies succeed, as a thriving business sector is a necessary foundation to reach higher living, wage and income and provide funding to achieve many of the political goals and objectives, such as the green transformation to a climate-neutral economy, that we need to pursue in the 21st century

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