Owners set to "return factory to workers"

Zastava Elektro factory from Raca, near Kragujevac, in central Serbia, will be given to its workers to manage. At the same time, the company's "future status" will depend on an agreement with the Ministry of Economy, reports said this Wednesday. Owners set to "return factory to workers" The leader of the Zastava Elektro strikers, Slobodan Gajic, commented by saying that the deal was struck with mediation from First Deputy PM Ivica Dacic, who received assurances that the owner will "return the factory to its workers". Dacic – who is also interior minister and leader of the ruling Socialists (SPS) – was given numerous documents, Gajic said, that pointed out to abuses during the company's privatization. "Faced with the facts, the owners had no other choice but to return the factory to the workers," said he. In 2006, Zastava Elektro was bought by a consortium headed by Ranko Dejanovic, the husband of Parliament Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, who is also a ranking SPS official. Dejanovic acquired the factory for RSD 2.7mn and was obligated to invest another RSD 26mn. As they protested in Belgrade last month – after previously being on strike for six months – the workers claimed that the new owner never saw to that obligation, and that he instead sent a tampered auditing report to the Privatization Agency as proof that the contractual obligations had been met.

Owners set to "return factory to workers"

The leader of the Zastava Elektro strikers, Slobodan Gajić, commented by saying that the deal was struck with mediation from First Deputy PM Ivica Dačić, who received assurances that the owner will "return the factory to its workers".

Dačić – who is also interior minister and leader of the ruling Socialists (SPS) – was given numerous documents, Gajić said, that pointed out to abuses during the company's privatization.

"Faced with the facts, the owners had no other choice but to return the factory to the workers," said he.

In 2006, Zastava Elektro was bought by a consortium headed by Ranko Dejanović, the husband of Parliament Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović, who is also a ranking SPS official.

Dejanović acquired the factory for RSD 2.7mn and was obligated to invest another RSD 26mn.

As they protested in Belgrade last month – after previously being on strike for six months – the workers claimed that the new owner never saw to that obligation, and that he instead sent a tampered auditing report to the Privatization Agency as proof that the contractual obligations had been met.