Striking workers reject offer

Workers of GIK Prvi Maj from Lapovo will continue to block the Belgrade-Nis railroad on the rail Corridor 10 after rejecting a deal from majority owners. The majority owners of the company proposed to pay RSD 15mn (about EUR 158,000) for all the workers. Striking workers reject offer “We rejected the employers’ offer, which Labor and Social Policies Minister Rasim Ljajic offered to us as a mediator—a total of RSD 15mn to be paid for all our workers—because that would mean that we would get minimum wages for one-two months without contributions for pensions and social security,” Independent Union Secretary Nebojsa Stankovic told the Tanjug news agency. He stated that the workers are asking for 11 minimum wages for this year, contributions for pensions and health insurance, and taxes and other state contributions, adding that at least RSD 80mn must be set aside for all this, adding that RSD 35mn is needed for the wages alone. The workers have been blocking the railroad for five days straight now, setting up tents on the tracks, and will not unblock the railroad until their demands are met, Stankovic said. He said that Friday night was the coldest it has been and that despite the fact that some workers are showing symptoms of having colds, they refuse to stop the protest until their demands are met. The company, which employees 250 people, was sold three years ago for RSD 82mn to the Novi Sad-based Autovojvodina company. (B92 archive)

Striking workers reject offer

“We rejected the employers’ offer, which Labor and Social Policies Minister Rasim Ljajić offered to us as a mediator—a total of RSD 15mn to be paid for all our workers—because that would mean that we would get minimum wages for one-two months without contributions for pensions and social security,” Independent Union Secretary Nebojša Stanković told the Tanjug news agency.

He stated that the workers are asking for 11 minimum wages for this year, contributions for pensions and health insurance, and taxes and other state contributions, adding that at least RSD 80mn must be set aside for all this, adding that RSD 35mn is needed for the wages alone.

The workers have been blocking the railroad for five days straight now, setting up tents on the tracks, and will not unblock the railroad until their demands are met, Stanković said.

He said that Friday night was the coldest it has been and that despite the fact that some workers are showing symptoms of having colds, they refuse to stop the protest until their demands are met.

The company, which employees 250 people, was sold three years ago for RSD 82mn to the Novi Sad-based Autovojvodina company.