Ekonomska kriza i reforme radnog zakonodavstva u evropskim državama, sa posebnim osvrtom na pravila o otkazu ugovora o radu - moguće pouke za srpsko radno pravo

Abstract

U vreme ekonomske krize, široke garantije sigurnosti zaposlenja kritikuju se kao prepreka za prevazilaženje teškoća sa kojima se poslodavci suočavaju na tržištu. Sa druge strane, kritici su izloženy i pravni sistemi koji poslodavcima priznaju bezmalo apsolutnu slobodu otpuštanja, budući da radnici imaju potrebu za većom zaštitom u vreme kada ih ugrožava povećan rizik (dugoročne) nezaposlenosti. Ove dileme obeležile su i period koji je usledio po razbuktavanju ekonomske krize u jesen 2008. godine, zbog čega je u radu, najpre, razmotren uticaj krize na reforme radnog zakonodavstva u više evropskih država. Posebnu pažnju u toj analizi zauzimaju rezultati primene koncepcije fleksibilne sigurnosti koji su, umesto očekivanog povećanja zaposlenosti, doveli do produbljivanje socijalnih nejednakosti i marginalizacije najosetljivijih kategorija radnika (posebno mladih i starijih radnika), kao i do značajnog narušavanja stabilnosti zaposlenja, te povećanja broja radnika koji rade van radnog odnosa. Centralni deo rada posvećen je skorašnjim primerima fleksibilizacije (i deregulacije) zaštite od otkaza u više evropskih država (pojednostavljivanje otkaznog postupka, preispitivanje kataloga valjanih otkaznih razloga, skraćivanje otkaznog roka, sužavanje zaštite u slučaju nezakonitog otkaza). Konstatovano je da usvajanje fleksibilnih pravila o otkazu nije značajnije doprinelo ostvarivanju njihovog osnovnog cilja - stvaranju novih poslova, što bi trebalo da bude važna pouka i za srpskog zakonodavca. Ovo tim pre što se teško može dokazati da će smanjeni obim zaštite od otkaza uticati na povećanje zaposlenosti (za šta je neophodno stvaranje novih poslova zahvaljujući većim ulaganjima, ozbiljnoj industrijskoj politici, delotvornijoj javnoj upravi i snižavanju troškova zapošljavanja novih radnika). U tom smislu se zaključuje da ekonomska kriza može biti legitiman razlog za izmene radnog zakonodavstva u cilju ograničavanja troškova rada, ali da te izmene ne smeju imati za posledicu prekomernu nesigurnost radnika i povredu njihovih osnovnih socijalnih prava.

In a time of economic crisis, a broad guarantee for job security is criticized, for it represents an obstacle in overcoming difficulties that employers face in the market. On the other hand, the legal systems that give the employers an almost absolute freedom to terminate employment are criticized as well, as employees need to be better protected during the periods of time with increased risk for (long-term) unemployment. These dilemmas had marked the period after the flare-up of economic crisis in the autumn of 2008. Therefore, the paper shall first consider the impact of the economic crisis on labour legislation reforms in several European countries. Particular attention in this analysis shall be paid to the results of the implementation of the flexicurity concept, which was supposed to increase employment, but instead led to the marginalization and impoverishment of certain categories of employees as well as significant disruption of employment stability and an increase in numbers of persons working under civil or commercial contracts. Central part of the paper shall be dedicated to the most recent examples of flexibilization (and deregulation) of protection against termination of employment in several European countries (simplification of the dismissal procedure, review of the catalogue of valid reasons for termination, shortening of the notice period, decreasing of the protection in cases of wrongful dismissal). It is noted that the adoption of flexible rules for termination of employment has not contributed significantly to the achievement of the main objective - creation of new jobs, which is an important lesson for Serbian legislators. All the more so because it cannot be concluded that the lower protection from termination of employment will cause the employment to rise (which requires the creation of new jobs through increased investment, serious industrial policies, more effective public administration and lower costs of hiring new workers). In this sense, we can say that the economic crisis represents a legitimate reason to change the labour laws in order to limit labour costs, and that these changes shall not result in excessive job insecurity and breach of the worker's fundamental social rights.