Contractors have started employing people through public work programs to work on clearing away the damage of last winter’s ice storm.
Slovenia’s Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry is latest contractor to do so. Around 150 employment contracts in total have already been approved. The biggest employer among the 10 contractors so far is Slovenia’s Forest Service which has employed 62 workers. Among the contractors employing forest workers through public works are also municipalities.
The government has approved around 6,6 million euros for clearing away the damage and restoring Slovenia’s forests after of last winter’s ice storm. That’s enough to employ more than 300 workers. The Employment Agency says it expects more contractors to get involved in the program as there is also great interest among the unemployed for forest work.
Workers get 85% of the standard minimum wage, which is around 780 euros gross pay.