INSTITUTE OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL STUDIES

Let us close our eyes and put citizens under house arrest for a few weeks. Then we open the eyes again and the virus is gone? This is not how it works. Yes, I have seen Chinese figures and I do not believe them either – gigantic continental China is supposed to have a similar number of new positive cases as the tiny Chinese Hong Kong?

The contest for who is more generous is on. Slovak large-scale employers want the highest possible wage compensation, looking up to the German or Austrian Kurzarbeit system, which covers up to 85% of wage costs. Journalists and some economists argue that we should borrow as much as we can. They claim that it is to save the economy, especially in terms of employment.

The ongoing epidemic requires an adequate response. In terms of the upcoming weeks, Slovakia should proceed in an organized and responsible manner.

The epidemic of good advice, tips, challenges, and recommendations for the new Slovak government is much stronger than the viral one. There are many things to fix, to improve, and especially – to save.

With the parliamentary elections approaching, Slovakia is facing an unprecedented situation of uncertainty. The elections are held after four challenging years, marked by the murder of the journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová, a number of subsequent anti-government protests, and months of revelations of corruption and malignant practices leading to some of the most senior public officials.

The current Vice-President of the European Commission Mr. Timmermans openly says that a minimum wage of 60% of the median wage should be paid in the European Union. In addition, the European Commission launched consultations with trade unions and employers on EU minimum wage rules in January.

If you are one of those fascinated by the Internet and its influence on the society, this is the book for you. Progress without Permission is a complete guide to the world where Airbnb rescues the dead capital and it competes with the state in the regulation making process, where Kickstarter replaces the tax collection and helps with financing the public services, and where Bitcoin enables building of a parallel society where there are no “chiefs” and we all have the keys to the kingdom.

Wage debates are always heated, no matter if it is an employee asking their boss for a rise, or union negotiations. Anyway, in the past year or two, the wage question became one of the leading topics of public debate in Slovakia.

Everyone wants to fight red tape – the European Union, governments, politicians. Well, at least according to their proclamations, party programs, and numerous conferences.

In Slovakia, the minimum wage has become a political evergreen of every autumn. However, its growth has been rapidly increasing in recent years. Moreover, the former Slovak prime minister has proposed a new law, which will set the minimum wage at 60% of an average wage of the previous year (effectively t+2).