Farmers, workers stage numerous protests

Farmers from various parts of the country have spent the night in front of the government building in Belgrade. They are protesting what they see as low prices offered for their produce, and are asking the state for help when it comes to wheat and raspberry prices. Farmers, workers stage numerous protests Dragisa Terzic, who heads a western-Serbia based raspberry producers' association, says that the protesters wished to be received by someone from the government, but that this did not happened. Terzic also told reporters that five farmers embarked on hunger strike, with more people joining them during the night. Traffic was blocked in one lane of Nemanjina St., which leads from Slavija Sq. down to Belgrade's main railway station. Today, Ministry of Agriculture said it would next week organize meetings between associations of farmers, wholesale buyers, processing industries and exporters of agricultural produce. The ministry said in a statement that it supports the farmers' request that earnings from primary and processed products should be equally distributed. The ministry's goal is to protect farmers as much as it can and help them in negotiations on securing the best possible conditions for organizing production, the statement says, and adds: "Unfortunately, according to our information during the past week things took on a political nature and crude untruths were said against the Ministry of Agriculture." Meanwhile, KMG Trudbenik workers have announced that they will today continue blocking trams in King Aleksandar Karadjordjevic Blvd. The construction company's workers want their overdue wages paid. They have been on strike for the past 24 days. Workers in Livnica in Topola, is central Serbia, are on strike again, reports says. A month and a half ago, they held the factory owners, who are Slovenians, locked in the plant's offices, demanding to be paid their wages. The owners were released when they promised to meet the demand. But since this never materialized, the workers are now prepared to "radicalize" their protest, by "closing the gates for a while, without letting anyone in or out until negotiations continue". Srobolek pharmaceutical company employees were also protesting today, while the Independent Union of Pancevo-based Petrohemija announced a strike. But the workers gathered at the factory grounds instead of in front of the government as they planned earlier. This decision came after their representatives received an invitation to meet with Economy Minister Mladjan Dinkic. . But the workers gathered at the factory grounds instead of in front of the government as they planned earlier. This decision came after their representatives received an invitation to meet with Economy Minister Mladjan Dinkic. Dinkic announced after the meeting that production at Petrohemija would start in September, after the state reprograms the company debts toward Russia's NIS and Lukoil. He also suggested that Petrohemija should lay off "about 500 workers", according to reports. The mounting social tension in the country prompted the Labor Ministry to come up with measures to try and solve the problems, mostly related to overdue wages, consolidation of years of service and issues in privatized companies. These measures will be ready by August 19, Labor Minister Rasim Ljajic announced.

Farmers, workers stage numerous protests

Dragiša Terzić, who heads a western-Serbia based raspberry producers' association, says that the protesters wished to be received by someone from the government, but that this did not happened.

Terzić also told reporters that five farmers embarked on hunger strike, with more people joining them during the night.

Traffic was blocked in one lane of Nemanjina St., which leads from Slavija Sq. down to Belgrade's main railway station.

Today, Ministry of Agriculture said it would next week organize meetings between associations of farmers, wholesale buyers, processing industries and exporters of agricultural produce.

The ministry said in a statement that it supports the farmers' request that earnings from primary and processed products should be equally distributed.

The ministry's goal is to protect farmers as much as it can and help them in negotiations on securing the best possible conditions for organizing production, the statement says, and adds:

"Unfortunately, according to our information during the past week things took on a political nature and crude untruths were said against the Ministry of Agriculture."

Meanwhile, KMG Trudbenik workers have announced that they will today continue blocking trams in King Aleksandar Karađorđević Blvd. The construction company's workers want their overdue wages paid. They have been on strike for the past 24 days.

Workers in Livnica in Topola, is central Serbia, are on strike again, reports says. A month and a half ago, they held the factory owners, who are Slovenians, locked in the plant's offices, demanding to be paid their wages. The owners were released when they promised to meet the demand.

But since this never materialized, the workers are now prepared to "radicalize" their protest, by "closing the gates for a while, without letting anyone in or out until negotiations continue".

Srobolek pharmaceutical company employees were also protesting today, while the Independent Union of Pančevo-based Petrohemija announced a strike. But the workers gathered at the factory grounds instead of in front of the government as they planned earlier.

This decision came after their representatives received an invitation to meet with Economy Minister Mlađan Dinkić. . But the workers gathered at the factory grounds instead of in front of the government as they planned earlier. This decision came after their representatives received an invitation to meet with Economy Minister Mlađan Dinkić.

Dinkić announced after the meeting that production at Petrohemija would start in September, after the state reprograms the company debts toward Russia's NIS and Lukoil.

He also suggested that Petrohemija should lay off "about 500 workers", according to reports.

The mounting social tension in the country prompted the Labor Ministry to come up with measures to try and solve the problems, mostly related to overdue wages, consolidation of years of service and issues in privatized companies.

These measures will be ready by August 19, Labor Minister Rasim Ljajić announced.