Union leader: PM made promise about controversial laws

BELGRADE Several thousand workers of companies from the towns of Kragujevac, Topola, and Knic undergoing restructuring protested on Friday in Belgrade. Their gathering came a day after a warning strike organized across Serbia. Union leader: PM made promise about controversial laws The workers are opposed to proposed new legislation regulating privatization, bankruptcy, and labor issues, and want Economy Minister Sasa Radulovic to be dismissed from the cabinet. The protest today was organized by the Autonomous Trade Union of Metalworkers of Serbia and the Branch Trade Union of Industry, Energy and Mining UGS "Independence." (Tanjug) The Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia (SSSS) President Ljubisav Orbovic held a meeting with Prime Minister Ivica Dacic on behalf of the protesters. He informed them afterwards that Dacic "promised" that the laws on bankruptcy and privatization would not be put on the parliament agenda until the Social-Economic Council had stated its position on this proposed legislation. As for the draft Labor Law, Orbovic said the prime minister told him that "the process of changes and amendments would effectively start anew." The workers who gathered in front of the government building, briefly blocking Nemanjina Street, left after they were informed about the outcome of the meeting. A poster denouncing the draft Labor Law (Beta) Earlier in the day, leader of the Autonomous Trade Union of Metalworkers Zoran Vujovic addressed the protesters to say that trade unions wanted Minister Radulovic sacked, and accused him of being "the instigator of all the contentious laws and most responsible for the fact they entered parliamentary procedure." "We will not give up on our protests until the draft laws have been withdrawn from parliament," said Vujovic, and explained that workers feared their adoption would automatically push most companies currently undergoing restructuring into bankruptcy and liquidation. These companies employ around 50,000 people, and most belong to the metal industry. (Beta) B92 Beta Tanjug

Union leader: PM made promise about controversial laws

The workers are opposed to proposed new legislation regulating privatization, bankruptcy, and labor issues, and want Economy Minister Saša Radulović to be dismissed from the cabinet.

The protest today was organized by the Autonomous Trade Union of Metalworkers of Serbia and the Branch Trade Union of Industry, Energy and Mining UGS "Independence." The Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia (SSSS) President Ljubisav Orbović held a meeting with Prime Minister Ivica Dačić on behalf of the protesters. He informed them afterwards that Dačić "promised" that the laws on bankruptcy and privatization would not be put on the parliament agenda until the Social-Economic Council had stated its position on this proposed legislation.

As for the draft Labor Law, Orbović said the prime minister told him that "the process of changes and amendments would effectively start anew."

The workers who gathered in front of the government building, briefly blocking Nemanjina Street, left after they were informed about the outcome of the meeting. Earlier in the day, leader of the Autonomous Trade Union of Metalworkers Zoran Vujović addressed the protesters to say that trade unions wanted Minister Radulović sacked, and accused him of being "the instigator of all the contentious laws and most responsible for the fact they entered parliamentary procedure."

"We will not give up on our protests until the draft laws have been withdrawn from parliament," said Vujović, and explained that workers feared their adoption would automatically push most companies currently undergoing restructuring into bankruptcy and liquidation.

These companies employ around 50,000 people, and most belong to the metal industry.