The 28 affiliates of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Slovakia (KOZ) have the antidote for centre-right coalition government intent on imposing dreaded labour laws reforms in the Central European country. KOZ and its trade unions have launched a petition drive to change the eight-hour work day to one of seven and a 25-hour work week, with no reduction in salaries.

The campaign already has the necessary 350,000 signatures needed to put an initiative up for vote under Slovakia’s referendum law. But the unions will continue collecting signatures, in part, to galvanise support against Prime Minister Iveta Radicova’s labour code revisions to cut worker protections.

KOZ has drawn up a draft referendum that poses three questions to Slovak citizens: Do you want to preserve the current system of worker protections? Do you agree that overtime work should be limited to 80 hours per year? Do you want working time shortened to 35 hours per week?

Leaders in the ruling coalition parties claim that if accepted, employers will reduce costs by furloughing workers. But union leaders argue that reducing the number of work hours can produce jobs if fair and socially correct policies are enacted by the government.

The labour-friendly Smer-Social Democracy Party is the one political party supporting KOZ’s campaign.

In order for a plebiscite to become effective in the Slovak Republic, at least 50% of voting-age people must turn out for the referendum vote. Since 1993, the country has held seven such plebiscites and only once has achieved the necessary 50% – in 2003 when Slovakian citizens voted to join the EU.