Striking workers take protest to Belgrade

Raca-based Zastava Elektro factory workers, which have been on strike since March, arrived in Belgrade this Tuesday. They staged a protest in front of the Privatization Agency building, demanding that the plant's privatization be annulled. Striking workers take protest to Belgrade The workers are prepared for a long protest, and says they will deliver their demands to President Boris Tadic as well. The protesters traveled to Belgrade in three buses from Kragujevac this morning. A fourth bus also arrived, carrying policemen. The strikers were today joined by disgruntled workers from Zemun's Ikarbus and Zrenjanin's Jugoremedija. Striking Committee President Slobodan Gajic told reporters that owners of the company – privatized in 2006 – sent a tampered auditing report to the Privatization Agency as proof that they had met their contractual obligations, including investment of RSD 26mn. A consortium, led by Ranko Dejanovic – the husband of Parliament Speaker and ruling SPS official Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic – bought Zastava Elektro for RSD 27.7mn and according to Gajic, never invested another penny. The company also since February owes its workers wages, insurance payments since May, and fees to workers who were sent abroad. The factory's account has been blocked with a debt worth RSD 170mn, RSD 50mn of which in the name of overdue tax duties. Although the workers have been on strike for six months, the Ministry of Economy neither spoke to them, nor promised a revision of the sale contract, said representative of the Association of Independent Unions of Serbia Tomislav Veljkovic. Veljkovic also stated that multinational company Delphi, until recently the factory's partner, said it was ready to continue cooperation, "and perhaps invest", provided the acquisition contract were annulled. Zastava Elektro employs 294 people. Meanwhile, the Privatization Agency reacted by saying that as of March 2008, it no longer has any jurisdiction in monitoring Zastava Elektro's business. A statement from the agency also said that during two years of monitoring, starting with the company's privatization, "it had been ascertained that the buyer met all their obligations from the acquisition contract". "The buyer secured continued production, made envisaged investments, respected a social program and paid the acquisition price in its entirety," said the agency. (Beta)

Striking workers take protest to Belgrade

The workers are prepared for a long protest, and says they will deliver their demands to President Boris Tadić as well.

The protesters traveled to Belgrade in three buses from Kragujevac this morning. A fourth bus also arrived, carrying policemen.

The strikers were today joined by disgruntled workers from Zemun's Ikarbus and Zrenjanin's Jugoremedija.

Striking Committee President Slobodan Gajić told reporters that owners of the company – privatized in 2006 – sent a tampered auditing report to the Privatization Agency as proof that they had met their contractual obligations, including investment of RSD 26mn.

A consortium, led by Ranko Dejanović – the husband of Parliament Speaker and ruling SPS official Slavica Đukić-Dejanović – bought Zastava Elektro for RSD 27.7mn and according to Gajić, never invested another penny.

The company also since February owes its workers wages, insurance payments since May, and fees to workers who were sent abroad.

The factory's account has been blocked with a debt worth RSD 170mn, RSD 50mn of which in the name of overdue tax duties.

Although the workers have been on strike for six months, the Ministry of Economy neither spoke to them, nor promised a revision of the sale contract, said representative of the Association of Independent Unions of Serbia Tomislav Veljković.

Veljković also stated that multinational company Delphi, until recently the factory's partner, said it was ready to continue cooperation, "and perhaps invest", provided the acquisition contract were annulled.

Zastava Elektro employs 294 people.

Meanwhile, the Privatization Agency reacted by saying that as of March 2008, it no longer has any jurisdiction in monitoring Zastava Elektro's business.

A statement from the agency also said that during two years of monitoring, starting with the company's privatization, "it had been ascertained that the buyer met all their obligations from the acquisition contract".

"The buyer secured continued production, made envisaged investments, respected a social program and paid the acquisition price in its entirety," said the agency.