[RTS1] E-registration of seasonal workers and further system expansion

In the RTS Morning Program, Tisa Čaušević, Policy Advisor in NALED, presented the results achieved so far with the electronic registration of seasonal workers in agriculture and explained NALED's recommendation to expand the scope of the Law on Simplified Work Engagement for Seasonal Works to other fields of work, such as construction, tourism, household tasks. 

Since the beginning of 2019, there have been nearly five times more seasonal workers registered via the portal www.sezonskiradnici.gov.rs than in the previous two years. In May only, there were 5,000 seasonal workers registered in agriculture, and at the moment there are 18,000 registered workers. Their work generated around 31.1 million dinars into the state budget based on taxes, along with 87.1 million based on social contributions. 

The benefits of introducing the e-system for registering seasonal workers are numerous – the workers are certain to receive remuneration, pension insurance, insurance in case of occupational injuries, legal certainty (even if there is no signed agreement, the registration on the portal act as sufficient proof, and they can also seek a written confirmation from the employer), the businesses have lower administrative and financial costs, and the state benefits from a regulated system, more efficient control and collection, lower scope of shadow economy, higher employment and tax revenues.