Employment of seasonal workers

Project implementation period: 15/06/2017 – 15/06/2019

As part of the Government of Serbia’s annual program for 2018, the Action plan for countering shadow economy stipulates the adoption of the Law on Simplified Work Engagement for Seasonal Workers. It is estimated that there are 70,000 people working illegally in agriculture only, and there is a need to introduce a simplified system of employment in order to introduce these persons in the legal flows of economy.

The project titled "Increasing Employment Opportunities for Seasonal Workers" aims to provide support in the adoption of a new legislative framework and its implementation, with the main goal of developing a flexible system for employing seasonal workers and the accompanying support for the system on the local level. NALED deals with the introduction  of electronic system for registering seasonal workers, with the support of Open Regional Fund for Modernization of Municipal Services of the German Development Cooperation (GIZ). Along with the signatories of Memorandum of Understanding (Ministry of Labor, Employment, Social and Veteran Care, Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Finance), the project also involves active engagement of the local governments, with established service centers for supporting employers in the field of agriculture.

The key activities within the project include:

1. Identification of seasonal workers and employers hiring seasonal workers
2. Adoption of the new legislative framework
3. Developing a software for registration and deregistration of workers
4. Organizing trainings for using the system
5. Regional exchange of experiences