Durmishi in Geneva: Digital literacy and preservation of workers’ rights are a national priority

We are witnessing the early but rapid growth of the platform economy. For many of our citizens – especially young people – digital platforms offer entry into the labor market, often providing income where traditional jobs can be rare. Students, freelancers, delivery drivers, content creators – all of them become part of this new digital labor force, said Economy Minister Besar Durmishi in today’s 113th address at the International Labor Conference in Geneva, organized by the International Labor Organization.

Durmishi emphasized the importance of the topic of decent work within the platform economy, stressing that this issue is becoming more and more relevant given the rapid digital transformation of the labor market.

– In the country the platform economy already offers opportunities for the involvement of young and vulnerable groups in the labor market. However, digital platform workers often remain without formal contracts, health insurance, pension contributions and basic labor rights. Therefore, the Government has launched a broad and inclusive dialogue with all stakeholders to create legal and political solutions that will provide social and economic protection, without endangering innovation. We will review our labor legislation with a clear intention: to expand the rights and protection of workers currently out of traditional frameworks. At the same time, we research models of fair taxation and social contributions, so platform workers have access to the same security networks as any other worker. Digital literacy and skills development have also become a national priority, especially for vulnerable groups that risk being missing in this transition – noted Durmishi.

According to him, the most important thing is to preserve the fundamental rights of all workers – including the right to fair working conditions, the right to organize and the right to collective bargaining, whether the work is done on the street, in the office or online.

– Northern Macedonia strongly supports ILO’s efforts to provide international guidelines and standards on these urgent issues. We believe that decent work must be the basis of every future of work – whether it is physical or digital. Therefore, work together to ensure that no worker is invisible, no work is without dignity and no future is built without justice – Minister Durmishi concluded.