PM outlines strategy to unions

Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic has presented the government measures to the Social-Economic Council. Cvetkovic presented the government’s economic stability plan, which calls for savings of EUR 1bn in public administration, social responsibility and protecting the standards of citizens, stimulating economic activity and employment and capital investments in infrastructure. PM outlines strategy to unions He said that the burden of the crisis would be taken on by the state, stressing the principle of solidarity, adding that the plan was not only any easier way to mitigate the impact of the world financial crisis, but also a basis for resuming public sector reforms and improving the economic climate. The prime minister said that the measures, which are in accordance with the International Monetary Fund’s polices, will introduce stability to the exchange rate and prices, strengthen foreign currency reserves, and enable Serbia to present itself as a credible country to foreign investors and the international business world. Earlier, Stevan Avramovic, who represented the Employers’ Union at the meeting, said that the government’s measures showed a willingness to help overcome the crisis, but that more was needed. “We’re happy with these measures, precisely because these measures don’t put a strain on industry. But, as a second element, we want measures for industry. The fact is that you’ve got 50,000, going on 60,000 companies, whose accounts have been blocked,“ Avramovic pointed out. “We’ve established the reasons why they’ve been blocked, and once you have a diagnosis, you can treat that company, and we’re going to propose to the government what needs to be done to be able to take proper measures to stimulate business,“ he explained. Ljubisav Orbovic, who attended the meeting as the president of the Alliance of Independent Trade Unions, said he did not expect to hear anything new from the prime minister that would persuade the unions from backing out of their planned protest. “That’s been made public via the media, and we expect the PM to tell this to the members of the Socio-Economic Council. We don’t see social dialogue in that way,” said Orbovic. “We believe that that should have first been said at the Socio-Economic Council—for us to put across our views and to play a part in tailoring those policies, and for the government then to decide to come out with it in public,” he said. Today’s meeting was held behind closed doors. Mirko Cvetkovic (Tanjug, archive)

PM outlines strategy to unions

He said that the burden of the crisis would be taken on by the state, stressing the principle of solidarity, adding that the plan was not only any easier way to mitigate the impact of the world financial crisis, but also a basis for resuming public sector reforms and improving the economic climate.

The prime minister said that the measures, which are in accordance with the International Monetary Fund’s polices, will introduce stability to the exchange rate and prices, strengthen foreign currency reserves, and enable Serbia to present itself as a credible country to foreign investors and the international business world.

Earlier, Stevan Avramović, who represented the Employers’ Union at the meeting, said that the government’s measures showed a willingness to help overcome the crisis, but that more was needed.

“We’re happy with these measures, precisely because these measures don’t put a strain on industry. But, as a second element, we want measures for industry. The fact is that you’ve got 50,000, going on 60,000 companies, whose accounts have been blocked,“ Avramović pointed out.

“We’ve established the reasons why they’ve been blocked, and once you have a diagnosis, you can treat that company, and we’re going to propose to the government what needs to be done to be able to take proper measures to stimulate business,“ he explained.

Ljubisav Orbović, who attended the meeting as the president of the Alliance of Independent Trade Unions, said he did not expect to hear anything new from the prime minister that would persuade the unions from backing out of their planned protest.

“That’s been made public via the media, and we expect the PM to tell this to the members of the Socio-Economic Council. We don’t see social dialogue in that way,” said Orbović.

“We believe that that should have first been said at the Socio-Economic Council—for us to put across our views and to play a part in tailoring those policies, and for the government then to decide to come out with it in public,” he said.

Today’s meeting was held behind closed doors.