Social Strategy of the European Union for the Protection of Non-Standard Workers: European Law’s Direct Influence on Macedonian Labour Law

From the outset, the need to establish the Treaty of Rome emerged due
to economic demands, as well as the need to enable the free movement of production
and factors of production (goods, services, labour and capital). It was proven that the
European Community needed to unite the economic forces of the European countries.
Yet, a key question arose: Should the European Union have a social strategy and what
will be its evolution? The answer, clearly affirmative, underscores the need for effective
social protections for non-standard workers, which should be equivalent to those provided
to workers employed under traditional full-time, permanent contracts. This paper
examines the application of the Labour Relations Law. The provisions that provide legal
protection to non-standard workers are precisely determined – cases that we increasingly
encounter in practice. Insufficient awareness can lead to falling into the so-called
legal mazes, that is, ambiguous legal solutions that employers use in order to protect
themselves at the expense of the employee. This paper seeks to explain the mechanisms
of functional legal protection that workers enjoy during the employment relationship
and after the termination of the employment contract, as well as which institutions in
North Macedonia are responsible for protecting workers’ rights through the application
of European and domestic law, all with the aim of enabling better social protection for
non-standard workers. Since its independence, the Macedonian labour market has
been characterized by high unemployment and low rates of employment and activity.
Nevertheless, in the last decade, there has been significant progress in all major labour
market indicators.
Keywords: Social strategy; EU; Macedonian Labour Relations Law; social protection