Workers arrested, streets, railroad blocked

Workers of the Gradjevinar construction company in Nis ended a blockade which they started this morning in one of the main city streets. Workers protested in the street to which traffic was rerouted a couple of days ago because of reconstruction works in the central city road. Workers arrested, streets, railroad blocked President of the striking committee Nebojsa Jovanovic said earlier that the blockade, which caused a traffic collapse in the southern Serbian city, would ended once the Gradjevinar delegation and city officials go to Belgrade, where they were expected to meet with officials of the Tax Administration and the Fund for Pension and Disability Insurance (PIO Fund). “We are calling for the workers’ years of employment for the period from January 2005 to September 16, 2008 to be linked. For this period, contributions were paid but the problem occurred since there was no coordination between the Tax Administration and the PIO Fund,” Jovanovic explained. Today, arrests were made in the city in the wake of another protest on Monday, when Nitex textile workers clashed with union representatives. Two workers were arrested, while another three will face criminal charges, police in Nis said, and announced that criminal charges will in the future be filed against those blocking traffic. The Nitex workers, who have been on strike for months, yesterday stormed the local headquarters of the Association of Free and Independent Unions. They broke down the doors and destroyed several desks and chairs, unhappy that the company owner and the union representatives signed an agreement on how to "lead the firm out of the crisis". The deal calls for payment of three overdue wages in August, but the strikers want all the money owed to them by the company paid in one installment. Police had to intervene to separate those taking part in the clash. Also in the south on Monday, the international Belgrade-Nis railroad on the Corridor 10 was blocked for over an hour by protesting workers, who demanded that their employer be reintegrated into the system of Serbian Railways (Zeleznice Srbije, ZS), and for overdue wages to be paid. The Society for Fire Protection and Security of the Serbian Railways Structures workers said they would decide whether to block the railroad again once they learn about results of negotiations between their representatives and the ZS public company. Protesters block streets in Nis on Tuesday (Beta)

Workers arrested, streets, railroad blocked

President of the striking committee Nebojša Jovanović said earlier that the blockade, which caused a traffic collapse in the southern Serbian city, would ended once the Građevinar delegation and city officials go to Belgrade, where they were expected to meet with officials of the Tax Administration and the Fund for Pension and Disability Insurance (PIO Fund).

“We are calling for the workers’ years of employment for the period from January 2005 to September 16, 2008 to be linked. For this period, contributions were paid but the problem occurred since there was no coordination between the Tax Administration and the PIO Fund,” Jovanović explained.

Today, arrests were made in the city in the wake of another protest on Monday, when Nitex textile workers clashed with union representatives.

Two workers were arrested, while another three will face criminal charges, police in Niš said, and announced that criminal charges will in the future be filed against those blocking traffic.

The Nitex workers, who have been on strike for months, yesterday stormed the local headquarters of the Association of Free and Independent Unions.

They broke down the doors and destroyed several desks and chairs, unhappy that the company owner and the union representatives signed an agreement on how to "lead the firm out of the crisis".

The deal calls for payment of three overdue wages in August, but the strikers want all the money owed to them by the company paid in one installment. Police had to intervene to separate those taking part in the clash.

Also in the south on Monday, the international Belgrade-Niš railroad on the Corridor 10 was blocked for over an hour by protesting workers, who demanded that their employer be reintegrated into the system of Serbian Railways (Železnice Srbije, ŽS), and for overdue wages to be paid.

The Society for Fire Protection and Security of the Serbian Railways Structures workers said they would decide whether to block the railroad again once they learn about results of negotiations between their representatives and the ŽS public company.