Doctors, police to join striking teachers

After teachers, who have been on strike for five days now, health care and police unions have also announced strikes. The Independent Trade Union of Police has announced that police officers will go on strike on February 3. Doctors, police to join striking teachers Union president Velimir Barbulov told B92 that police officers would demand 40 percent increase in salaries, special collective agreement which would be acceptable for the employees, changes to the Law on Police and better equipment. Barbulov added that striking police officers would respect the legal minimum of service. “Police will not perform regular patrol tasks which are preventive and will only respond to things that cannot be delayed, and that’s bigger violation of public law and order, serious criminal acts and everything else that can jeopardize personal and property safety of citizens and public facilities,” he stressed. “There will be minor problems with the speed of issuing of personal documents and passports, because documents will be issued by urgency, humanitarian and other reasons that cannot be delayed,” Barbulov added. Health care workers have requested an urgent meeting with the government representatives in order to present their financial problems. Health and Social Protection Employees Union of Serbia President Branislava Plancak repeated that they had demanded increase in basic wage and payment of unpaid jubilee awards in December but that nothing had happened other than resignation of Health Minister Tomica Milosavljevic. “We’re not interested in whether we have a minister or not this time. In this case we don’t see that the health minister is important at all for the things that have to do with the improvement of health care workers’ financial situation,” she explained. Plancak pointed out that they had made their requests before the teachers, adding that they supported them. “Of course we cannot agree that only they get the increase, if there is an increase at all. Our wages are low too and of course we’ll request that they are increased and we will use all union means to reach the goal,” she explained. Most schools in Serbia are on strike and classes are either suspended or cut 15 minutes short. The authorities have offered teachers RSD 4bn but they believe it is not enough and demand RSD 8bn. It is expected that their negotiations will continue today.

Doctors, police to join striking teachers

Union president Velimir Barbulov told B92 that police officers would demand 40 percent increase in salaries, special collective agreement which would be acceptable for the employees, changes to the Law on Police and better equipment.

Barbulov added that striking police officers would respect the legal minimum of service.

“Police will not perform regular patrol tasks which are preventive and will only respond to things that cannot be delayed, and that’s bigger violation of public law and order, serious criminal acts and everything else that can jeopardize personal and property safety of citizens and public facilities,” he stressed.

“There will be minor problems with the speed of issuing of personal documents and passports, because documents will be issued by urgency, humanitarian and other reasons that cannot be delayed,” Barbulov added.

Health care workers have requested an urgent meeting with the government representatives in order to present their financial problems.

Health and Social Protection Employees Union of Serbia President Branislava Plančak repeated that they had demanded increase in basic wage and payment of unpaid jubilee awards in December but that nothing had happened other than resignation of Health Minister Tomica Milosavljević.

“We’re not interested in whether we have a minister or not this time. In this case we don’t see that the health minister is important at all for the things that have to do with the improvement of health care workers’ financial situation,” she explained.

Plančak pointed out that they had made their requests before the teachers, adding that they supported them.

“Of course we cannot agree that only they get the increase, if there is an increase at all. Our wages are low too and of course we’ll request that they are increased and we will use all union means to reach the goal,” she explained.

Most schools in Serbia are on strike and classes are either suspended or cut 15 minutes short. The authorities have offered teachers RSD 4bn but they believe it is not enough and demand RSD 8bn. It is expected that their negotiations will continue today.