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Responsible Body

 
Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs
(Ministrstvo za delo, družino in socialne zadeve)
Kotnikova 5, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia  Phone: +386 1 369 7700
Fax: +386 1 369 7832
E-mail: gp.mddsz@gov.si
Web Page: http://www.mddsz.gov.si/en/
Organization Chart
 
   

Policy Overview

The overall aim of the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs is prosperity and social justice for all. We believe that our citizens, wherever they live in the country, should have the opportunity to work and to maintain or to improve their living and working standards. To achieve that aspiration we must promote and implement strategies and policies to enhance full employment and  social cohesion.

We are aware that labour, family and social security form one of the key elements in the quality of life for every individual and we keep this in mind as we perform our work with the utmost responsibility. Among the key strategic issues in Slovenia are the increase of births and consequently the improvement of bad demographic situation. Therefore we need to provide the young with suitable conditions that will alleviate their decision to have children and to create a family.

One of the employment policy priorities is to achieve the targets set in Lizbon Strategy  for the development of the labour market and employment policy and improving the employability of unemployed people. The fundamental orientations and mechanisms encouraged in the sphere of social development are found in the policy of encouraging equal opportunities and facilitating social participation by investing in human resources, testing all social security systems and providing measures tailored to the individual.

Competences of the ministry:

The Ministry’s work encompasses the following main areas: labour relations and rights deriving from employment; the labour market, employment and vocational training; social affairs; family affairs; issues concerning the disabled; issues relating to war invalids, war veterans and victims of war.

Labour relations and rights deriving from employment (http://www.gov.si/mddsz/index.php?PID=343&L=en)

The field covers matters relating to the status, rights and responsibilities of workers at work and deriving from employment, the income policy and wage system, collective agreements and social partnership arrangements, the pension and disability insurance system, occupational health and safety..

Labour market, employment and education (http://www.gov.si/mddsz/index.php?PID=324&L=en)

The division covers employment policies at home and abroad, unemployment insurance, student policy, the enforcement of professional standards and the national qualifications system and adult education. One of the priority tasks of this field is realizing the aims of development of the labour market and employment policy, based on the pillars of the European Employment strategy.

Family affairs (http://www.gov.si/mddsz/index.php?PID=325&L=en)

The term “family policy” incorporates the entire spectrum of social, economic, legal, pedagogical, health care and other measures of the state. The division is responsible for the formulation and realization of family policy relating to marital relations, relationships between parents and children, adoptions, foster care and guardianship. It also covers regulation of matters related to insurance for parental protection and rights arising there from and family benefits.

Social affairs (http://www.gov.si/mddsz/index.php?PID=326&L=en)

The fundamental orientations and mechanisms encouraged in the sphere of social development by the ministry are found in the policy of encouraging equal opportunities and facilitating social participation by investing in human resources, testing all social security systems and providing measures tailored to the individual. In a broad sense the correcting of various areas and of the social security system is aimed at improving the situation for society’s most vulnerable groups, as part of a general solidarity, as well as setting up supplementary social security schemes.

Disabled (http://www.gov.si/mddsz/index.php?PID=326&L=en) 

The sector for disabled deals with matters concerning the situation of disabled people, their integration into society, employment rehabilitation and participation in employment programmes. Being aware of the urgent need for new arrangements for disabled employment we prepared the Disabled Employment Rehabilitation and Employment Act. 

War invalids, war veterans and victims of war (http://www.gov.si/mddsz/index.php?PID=327&L=en)

The main work of the Ministry in this area is to provide systemic regulation of the area and preparation of legislation from within the section's sphere of work. We also look after and ensure the regular maintenance of burial sites from wars in Slovenia and the maintenance and restoration of war cemeteries.

Illegal Labour (http://www.gov.si/mddsz/index.php?PID=330&L=en)

Concern of Prevention of Illegal Work and Employment Section is the grey economy, a phenomenon in existence in all countries and all economies of the world. In Slovenia, the grey economy amounts to a comparatively high proportion. As a result, in 1997 the Slovenian Government adopted the Programme for the Detection and Prevention of Illegal Work and Employment and an appropriate legal basis in 2000. Tighter control over illegal work and employment, conducted as part of joint campaigns for the detection and prevention of illegal work and employment, was directed by a special governmental coordination team, headed by a representative of the Ministry.

Milestones

1991   Employment and Insurance against Unemployment Act, National Labour Market Development and Employment Programme Until 2006 and Rules of the Execution of the Active Employment Policy set the legal foundation for the execution of the active employment policy
1993   Resolution on the Foundations for the Formulation of Family Policy in the Republic of Slovenia
1995   War invalids Act and War veterans Act gave war invalids and their family members and war veterans  the right to special financial provisions and the right to treatment in health and climatic resorts
2000   Pension reform with new Pension and Disability Insurance Act brought new system of pension insurance with voluntary supplementary pension insurance as a compensation for lower pensions from obligatory pension insurance. The reform also brought gradual increasing of retirement age.
2001   Foundation of the European Social Fund Section enabled Slovenia to obtain ESF funding
2001   Changes of Social Security Act brought about new definition of financial social assistance and higher limit for access to it.
2001   Slovenia adopted Parental protection and Family Benefit Act which gave fathers the right to paternity leave, it instituted Large Family Allowance, Partial Payment for Lost Income, the right to short-time working due to the parenthood,…
2002   Slovenia adopted the Use of Slovenian Sign Language Act thereby becoming the 25th country in the world to have adopted sign language as an equal language.
2002   In Slovenia there are well developed non-governmental organisations in the area of disabled protection therefore it was necessary to adopt The Disabled Organisations Act.
2002   In cooperation with social partners Slovenia adopted in April new Employment relationship act which enforced new philosophy of employment relationship as a contract relationship between the worker and the employer.
2002   Adoption of the Foster Care Implementation Act contributed a significant quality shift in the implementation of foster care activities.
2002  

On 2nd December Slovenia joined to the European year of disabilities 2003.

2003   In April social partners signed Social agreement for the period 2003-2005. Social partnership enables integration of different interests and formation of a general development consensus.
2003   The War Grave Sites Act regulated maintenance of burial sites from wars in Slovenia and the maintenance and restoration of war cemeteries in Slovenia and abroad
2003   In December Slovenia signed with the European Commission a Joint Memorandum on Social Inclusion (JIM), signifying the further enhanced fulfillment of the policy of social inclusion which the Government defined as one of its priority policies back in 2000.
2004   Slovenia marks 10th anniversary of International Day of Families.
2004   Aims of the Disabled Employment Rehabilitation and Employment Act which we adopted in 2004 are to provide people with disabilities with appropriate employment rehabilitation and to identify the forms, measures and incentives for their occupational training, employment, holding of jobs, promotion at work or career changes.
2004   Changes of Social Security Act enabled the right to family assistant and social inspection.
2004   Changes of Marriage and Family Relations Act shifted the competence for decisions about future relations between children and divorced parents to courts. The basic principle in all decisions about a child is the best interest of the child.
2004   In June Slovenia reached the lowest unemployment rate since 1991 (89.156 unemployed persons – 10,2% /Employment Service of Slovenia methodology/; ILO methodology: 2004 – Q2 – 6,1%).
2004   In July Slovenia adopted first National Action Plan on Social Inclusion for the period 2004-2006.
2004   In September Slovenian Government adopted first National Employment Action Programme based on European Employment Strategy and is so comparable with other EU states's National Employment Action Programmes
2000 – 2004   The ministry developed an overall information system, controlling social transfers.

International Cooperation

Our activities have lately been focused on active preparations for EU accession  in the areas of social policy and employment, free movement of persons and coordination of social security systems, as well as on cooperating in Phare projects and other forms of European technical assistance. After acquiring observer status the focus of the Ministry's and Section's activities shifted to active participation within EU bodies and to preparations for working under the conditions of EU membership.

Other international activities cover intensive relations with the Council of Europe, the International Labour Organisation and the United Nations – especially UNICEF – as well as with some regional initiatives.  Slovenia and her representatives are thus very active in implementing and protecting the stipulations of the European Social Charter, in advocating children's rights in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and in executing the rights of both workers and employers by the method of social dialogue.

We are also involved in bilateral relations with various countries, especially old EU member countries, new EU member countries and countries of former Yugoslavia. Bilateral agreements have had to be concluded in the field of social security and will be concluded if necessary in the field of free movement of labour.

Main Documents

  • Pension and Disability Insurance Act (currently available in Slovene only)
  • Employment and Insurance against Unemployment Act (currently available in Slovene only)
  • Rules of the Execution of the Active Employment Policy (currently available in Slovene only)
  • National Labour Market Development and Employment Programme Until 2006 
  • National Professional Qualifications Act (currently available in Slovene only)  
  • Law on Health and Safety at Work (unofficial translation)
  • Resolution on National Safety and Health at Work (currently available in Slovene only)
  • Social security Act (currently available in Slovene only)
  • National Programme of Social Security Until 2005 (currently available in Slovene only)
  • Programme of Elderly People’s Security Development Until 2005 (currently available in Slovene only)
  • Resolution on the Foundations for the Formulation of Family Policy in the Republic of Slovenia (currently available in Slovene only)
  • Marriage and Family Relations Act (currently available in Slovene only)
  • Parental Protection and Family Benefit Act (currently available in Slovene only)
  • Foster Care Implementation Act (currently available in Slovene only)
  • Disabled Employment Rehabilitation and Employment Act (currently available in Slovene only)
  • Use of Slovenian Sign Language Act (currently available in Slovene only)
  • The War Grave Sites Act (currently available in Slovene only)

Slovenia vs. EU

Average years of schooling attained by persons in employment

Although the average years of schooling attained by employed people in Slovenia has been rising steadily, it is still significantly below the level of this indicator in developed countries. Data available for 2005[1] show that people in employment in Slovenia completed 11.8 years of schooling according to the labour force survey and 11.6 years according to the statistical employment register, which is a respective 0.8 and 0.6 of a year more than in 1995, and 0.09/0.07 of a year more than in 2004. In comparison with the average of the OECD countries[2] the value of this indicator in Slovenia is low. In the EU only Greece, Italy and Portugal, and for women alone Slovakia, have lower values of this indicator than Slovenia (see the figure). In Q2 of 2005, employed men had attained 11.6 years of schooling on average while women attained 12.0 years. In 2003, men received 0.1 of a year less and women 0.2 of a year less schooling than in 2005, which was at that time a respective 0.9 and 0.7 of a year below the OECD average (12.7 and 12.5 years, respectively) and a respective 2.5 and 2.4 years below the highest average years of schooling attained by people in employment, then recorded in Norway and the USA (14.0 years for men and 14.2 years for women).

The highest level of average years of schooling was achieved in the education sector itself, where it is also rising at the fastest pace. People employed in the education sector attained an average of 13.9 years of schooling according to figures from December 2005, which is 0.1 of a year more than in 2004 and 0.9 of a year more than in 1995. Education was followed by public administration and financial intermediation, while the lowest average years of schooling were registered among people employed in construction (10.0). The indicator is also low in manufacturing (10.6), where it has been increasing very sluggishly (see the table). Within manufacturing, only workers employed in the manufacture of petroleum products, chemicals and chemical products and in paper, publishing and printing industries received more than 11 years of education, while the lowest average years of schooling are found in the manufacture of leather and leather products (10.0).

The share of persons in employment with a completed higher education is growing in all activities – most rapidly in those which also record the highest average years of schooling attained. According to the labour force survey, this share topped 20% of the total employed population in Slovenia in 2004 and totalled 21.5% in Q2 of 2005 (6 p.p. more than in 1995). Generally, the highest and most rapidly rising shares of employed people with a higher education are found in the activities where people received the highest average years of schooling.  These include the education, public administration and financial intermediation sectors, where the shares of highly-skilled employees increased by more than 11 p.p. in ten years.  In December 2005, the proportion of employees with a higher education totalled 61.2% in education, 48.0% in public administration and 39.2% in financial intermediation. High ratios of workers with completed tertiary education were also recorded in health care and social work (35.7% in December 2005), real estate, renting and business services (34.5%), other community, social and personal services (29.5%) and electricity, gas and water supply (23.4%). In all other mainly production-oriented branches there were less than 13% of workers with tertiary education. The lowest shares of such workers were registered in construction and hotels and restaurants (around 5.5%). The education sector also still employs the largest share (20.9%) of the total employed population with a completed tertiary education in Slovenia. The next highest shares in this category were observed in manufacturing (14.4%), public administration (13.8%), real estate, renting and business services (13.5%), health care and social work (10.5%) and wholesale and retail trade (8.0%).

 

Basic Indicators

Labour relations and rights deriving from employment, pension system
No. of users of pensions (2003) 517.751
No. of old-age pensions (2003) 302.365 (58,4%)
No. of disability pensions (2003) 97.433 (18,8%)
No. of survivors' pensions (2003) 78.818 (15,2%)
No. of widow/widower's pensions (2003) 13.295 (2,6%)
No. of other pensions (2003) 25.840 (5%)
No. of persons included in voluntary supplementary pension insurance (30th June 2004) 376.930
Retirement Age – old-age pensions (2003) 57 years, 8 months
Retirement Age – old-age pensions – men (2003) 59 years, 11 months
Retirement Age – old-age pensions – women (2003) 55 years, 8 months
Retirement Age – disability pensions – (2003) 51 years, 8 months
Retirement Age – disability pensions – men (2003) 52 years, 11 months
Retirement Age – disability pensions – women (2003) 49 years, 6 months
Average monthly gross earnings (November 2004) 291.850 SIT
Average monthly net earnings (November 2004) 181.138 SIT
No. of fatal injuries at work (2003) 21
No. of work related injuries – men (2002) 16.796
No. of work related injuries – women (2002) 4.624
No. of work related injuries per 1000 employees (2002) 27,1
No. of work related injuries per 1000 employees – men (2002) 38,6
No. of work related injuries per 1000 employees – women (2002) 13,0
No. of work related injuries on Monday (maximum) (2002) 21,1%
No. of work related injuries on Friday (minimum) (2002) 16,2%
No. of temporary absences from work because of work injuries (2001) 40.270

 
Labour market, employment and education
Activity rate (2nd quarter 2004) 59,0
Women activity rate (2nd quarter 2004) 52,9
Men activity rate (2nd quarter 2004) 65,6
Employment/population ratio (2nd quarter 2004) 55,5
Unemployment rate (2nd quarter 2004) 6,1
Women unemployment rate (2nd quarter 2004) 6,4
Men unemployment rate (2nd quarter 2004) 5,7
Long-term unemployment rate (2003) 3,4
Unemployment rate of young persons (15-24) (2003) 5,4
No. of unemployed disabled persons (31. 12. 2003) 8.875 (9,2% of all unemployed persons)
Grey economy 7% GDP
No. of National Scholarships (2003/2004) appr.: 54.000

 
Family affairs
Birth rate (2002) 8,8 births per 1000 inhabitants
Growth of population (2003) -1,1
General fertility rate (2001) 34,1
Average number of children per woman (2001) 1,21
Average age of mother at birth (2002) 29,0
Average age of mother at first birth (2002) 27,2
No. of marriages (2003) 6.756
Wedding rate (2003) 3,4 marriages per 1000 inhabitants
No. of divorces (2003) 2.461
Divorce rate (2002) 1,2 divorces per 1000 inhabitants (364,3 divorces per 1000 marriages)
No. of families (2002) 555.945
Average age of marriage – bride (2002) 29,2
Average age of marriage – groom (2002) 32,3 years
Average age of marriage at first marriage – bride (2002) 27,4 years
Average age of marriage at first marriage – groom (2002) 30,1 years
No. of persons entitled to child allowance (2003) 412.495
No. of persons entitled to parental allowance (2003) 2.317
No. of persons entitled to special child care allowance (2003) 4.963

 
Social affairs
At risk of poverty rate (2002) 11,9
Expenditure for social protection (2002) 25,48% GDP
No. of entitled to financial social assistance (December 2004) 62.256
No. of social work centres (2004) 62
No. of persons in homes for the elderly and combined social care institutions (2003) 13.051
No. of retirement homes (2003) 54
No. of persons in special social care institutions (2003) 1.706
No. of special homes for adults (2003): 7
No. of persons in sheltered work centres (2003) 2.256
No. of social care homes for children and young persons with disturbances in mental development (2003) 5

 
Disabled
No. of persons with the status of disabled person 170.000 (8.5%) (WHO:10% in every society)
No. of employed disabled persons (2002) 28.967 (22.765 in ordinary environment and 6.202 in companies for disabled persons)
No. of unemployed disabled persons (31. 12. 2003) 8.875 (9,2% of all unemployed persons)
No. of care and occupational therapy centres for the disabled (2003) 40
No. of centres for vocational training and employment of the disabled (2001) 2
No. of enterprises for vocational training and employment of the disabled (2001) 138

 

Contact Persons

Mrs. Aleksandra Klinar Blaznik, Public Relations
Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs, Kotnikova 5, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Phone: +386 1 369 77 00
E-mail: aleksandra.klinar-blaznik@gov.si

Mrs. Marjeta Polajnar, Public Relations
Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs, Kotnikova 5, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Phone: +386 1 369 77 00
E-mail: marjeta.polajnar@gov.si


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