Skopje, 28.04.2024
The Minister of Economy and Labor Besar Durmishi addressed an event today to mark the "World Day for Safety and Health at Work".
We are attaching the speech of Minister Durmishi.
Revered,
Under conditions of profound changes in the world of work, globalization, technological changes, new business models, and the like, one of the most significant challenges of the Ministry of Economy and Labor is to define which persons, that is workers, should be subject to protection and have appropriate protection at work.
The rapid development of technology and the digitalization of the business world in the last decade have enabled the creation of new types of working positions that we could not even imagine ten years ago.
Also, many working positions that were once traditional are now changing and adapting to new technologies and ways of working, in the future even more new working positions will be opened that will be based on technology and digitalization, such as working positions in the field of technology, process automation, artificial intelligence development, and the like.
However, along with the creation of new working positions, there will also be changes to existing working positions, requiring workers to develop new skills and adapt to new technologies and ways of working. This is because new technologies often change the way work is done and require a different set of skills.
In this direction, and with the aim of easier inclusion and adaptation of workers to the needs of the labor market, that is acquisition of computer skills and digital literacy, in order to increase employability and competitiveness in the labor market, with the Operational Plan for Active Programs and Measures for Employment and Services on the Labor Market for 2025, we foresee several measures related to training and development of digital skills, such as training for advanced IT skills, artificial intelligence specialist, network specialist, training in digital marketing and modern technologies based on artificial intelligence.
All these trainings will enable requalification and additional training for all those who want to acquire and improve their skills in order to increase their competitiveness and faster integration into the labor market and inclusion in new trends such as the digitalization of working positions, because only in this way, through investing in the development of digital skills, we will open new working positions.
The Ministry of Economy and Labor is also committed to developing regulations that will respond to the new challenges brought by digitalization. We are working on creating legal framework that will take into account both the physical and psycho-social aspects of work in the modern world. It is crucial to work on harmonizing new technologies with health and safety policies, but also on raising awareness of the challenges of occupational safety and health related to the digital transformation of work and the use of digital technologies in everyday work.
Remote work (working from home), mobile work changes the flexibility of work with the possibility of improving work-life balance, all this means that occupational health and safety management systems must change and adapt to the application of new working methods. But it should be taken to consideration that the development of digitalized workplaces must lead to a real work-life balance to reduce the psychosocial risks.
As the Minister of Economy and Labor, who has the authority and role to care for the advancement of workers' rights, in the world of digitalization we must not forget the worker who needs to be involved in every change of every technological development. We must be aware of how technological changes affect the physical and mental health of workers. That is, to create a working environment, a workplace where technology will serve to improve conditions, but not ignore human dignity.
"Technology is here to help us, but the human factor remains crucial. Our task is to ensure that digital progress goes hand in hand with caring for the health and well-being of workers. Progress and technology can create a better world, but only if that world is built on the foundation of safety, trust and care for people.
Therefore, in the coming period, the Ministry will work to raise awareness, encourage debates and discussions about the importance of occupational safety and health in this digital era in which we live and work, with a special emphasis on the necessity of having a "human-centered approach" in the design, implementation, management and use of digital technologies.
At the end, I would like to add that we have to accept that the world is changing.
The business world is constantly changing and evolving, creating new opportunities as well as challenges. Therefore, it must be clear to us that it is crucial to be proactive in adapting to new trends and technologies in order to remain competitive in the labor market and ensure a successful career in the future, so that we can retain young people in our country but also attract those who are outside the country to return and create their future here”.