Striking workers head home

Zastava Elektro workers from Raca ended their protest in front of the Privatization Agency and headed home at about 13:30 CET today. This came after the Interior Ministry (MUP) agreed to investigated the strikers' accusations against the company owners. Striking workers head home Striking Committee President Slobodan Gajic said that they met with Deputy Interior Minister Ivica Tocev, adding that he sent a demand to the prosecution to investigate the claims regarding fake investment reports and other illegal activities of the new owners of the company. If the allegations have evidence to back them, Gajic said, the Privatization Agency will begin a process to terminate the sales contract, which is one of the key demands of the workers. Some 160 workers from the factory based in Raca, near Kragujevac, spent the night in front of the Privatization Agency building in Belgrade. The workers, who have been on strike for the past six months, arrived in the Serbian capital on Tuesday. They want the agency to annul the privatization contract that saw the company sold to a consortium headed by Ranko Dejanovic, the husband of Parliament Speaker and ruling SPS official Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic. Labor Minister Rasim Ljajic tried unsuccessfully last night to persuade the workers to end their protest. The strikers told reporters that they were "on their own", and that only the factory's union help them. Gajic said earlier on Wednesday that a meeting was planned with Economy Minister Mladjan Dinkic, and that until it takes place, the workers will stay put. He also described yesterday's statement from the agency that they had no jurisdiction in the matter as "scandalous". Local administration representatives are also with the workers. The protesters are asking for their overdue wages, fees and contributions for the period of the past 17 months, and are accusing the company owners of reporting investment that they never made, and purchasing of old machinery. They believe that all this constitutes reason enough for the privatization contract to be annulled.

Striking workers head home

Striking Committee President Slobodan Gajić said that they met with Deputy Interior Minister Ivica Točev, adding that he sent a demand to the prosecution to investigate the claims regarding fake investment reports and other illegal activities of the new owners of the company.

If the allegations have evidence to back them, Gajić said, the Privatization Agency will begin a process to terminate the sales contract, which is one of the key demands of the workers.

Some 160 workers from the factory based in Rača, near Kragujevac, spent the night in front of the Privatization Agency building in Belgrade.

The workers, who have been on strike for the past six months, arrived in the Serbian capital on Tuesday.

They want the agency to annul the privatization contract that saw the company sold to a consortium headed by Ranko Dejanović, the husband of Parliament Speaker and ruling SPS official Slavica Đukić-Dejanović.

Labor Minister Rasim Ljajić tried unsuccessfully last night to persuade the workers to end their protest.

The strikers told reporters that they were "on their own", and that only the factory's union help them.

Gajić said earlier on Wednesday that a meeting was planned with Economy Minister Mlađan Dinkić, and that until it takes place, the workers will stay put. He also described yesterday's statement from the agency that they had no jurisdiction in the matter as "scandalous".

Local administration representatives are also with the workers.

The protesters are asking for their overdue wages, fees and contributions for the period of the past 17 months, and are accusing the company owners of reporting investment that they never made, and purchasing of old machinery.

They believe that all this constitutes reason enough for the privatization contract to be annulled.