PM, education minister to discuss union requests

Serbian Education and Science Minister Zarko Obradovic said Friday that he would consult Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic about education unions' demands. He added that the solution must be sought within the framework of the country's economic possibilities and respect for the law. PM, education minister to discuss union requests Obradovic told Tanjug that the “economic part” of the trade unions' demands would be forwarded to the Finance Ministry for consideration and assessment, so that the government could soon be ready to invite unions for negotiations which would hopefully be successful. The minister announced that other issues contained in the request would also be considered in order to see if anything new was there, and stated that “when it comes to some issues, it is absolutely as if you were knocking on an door open, because we have the situation that either certain matters are already being dealt with or a significant part of the work has already been done.” “Of course, we will try to find a solution as before, within the financial possibilities of the state and in accordance with the law. We have offered the unions on several occasions to sign the negotiations. We have not been choosing any specific day, time or place, but there was no good will on their part for such a move,” Obradovic underlined. “If the Finance Ministry manages to do its job, we are ready to begin with the negotiations even tomorrow,” the education minister said. A several-hour protest of public sector unions, led by Serbia's education trade unions, ended without a concrete agreement in Belgrade on Friday, with teachers' union leaders announcing strike actions at schools will continue. “The strike will continue, as the problem could be resolved by Monday, but they (the government and line ministries) are avoiding that,” Association of Education Workers' Union (USPRS) representative Leonardo Erdelji said after meeting with Assistant Education Ministers Zoran Kostic and Bojan Mitrovic. Erdelji pointed out that teachers would continue striking as long as their requirements set forth in the settlement proposal which was submitted Friday to the education minister were not met. The meeting with Kostic was also attended by Independence Trade Union President Tomislav Zivanovic and Union of Education Workers of Serbia Slobodan Brajkovic. Zarko Obradovic

PM, education minister to discuss union requests

Obradović told Tanjug that the “economic part” of the trade unions' demands would be forwarded to the Finance Ministry for consideration and assessment, so that the government could soon be ready to invite unions for negotiations which would hopefully be successful.

The minister announced that other issues contained in the request would also be considered in order to see if anything new was there, and stated that “when it comes to some issues, it is absolutely as if you were knocking on an door open, because we have the situation that either certain matters are already being dealt with or a significant part of the work has already been done.”

“Of course, we will try to find a solution as before, within the financial possibilities of the state and in accordance with the law. We have offered the unions on several occasions to sign the negotiations. We have not been choosing any specific day, time or place, but there was no good will on their part for such a move,” Obradović underlined.

“If the Finance Ministry manages to do its job, we are ready to begin with the negotiations even tomorrow,” the education minister said.

A several-hour protest of public sector unions, led by Serbia's education trade unions, ended without a concrete agreement in Belgrade on Friday, with teachers' union leaders announcing strike actions at schools will continue.

“The strike will continue, as the problem could be resolved by Monday, but they (the government and line ministries) are avoiding that,” Association of Education Workers' Union (USPRS) representative Leonardo Erdelji said after meeting with Assistant Education Ministers Zoran Kostić and Bojan Mitrović.

Erdelji pointed out that teachers would continue striking as long as their requirements set forth in the settlement proposal which was submitted Friday to the education minister were not met.

The meeting with Kostić was also attended by Independence Trade Union President Tomislav Živanović and Union of Education Workers of Serbia Slobodan Brajković.