"Black" job market rife in Serbia

There are some 200,000 unregistered workers in Serbia whose basic rights are in danger, say union officials. While trade unionists plan to assist inspectors, who themselves have been the target of threats, Director of the Work Inspectorate Radovan Ristanovic says that the biggest problem is that workers do not declare themselves as being unregistered. "Black" job market rife in Serbia It is hard to say how many people are working unregistered, as this form of work is so widespread. The Independent Union of Serbian Metal workers state that together with work inspectors, they will enter 100 companies unannounced in one day in order to establish just how widespread the phenomenon is. Ristanovic says that even though fines can be as high as EUR 13,000, the courts work slowly and do not make full use of the possible fines, while workers themselves are reluctant to report violations of their own rights. “The problem is that unregistered workers are often forced into cooperating with their employers, for fear that they will lose their jobs. The fact is, it’s mostly unqualified people that are working unregistered, of which there is an ever growing number on the job market, between 200,000 and 250,000, and it is mostly these people that are working ‘on the black’,” Ristanovic explains.

"Black" job market rife in Serbia

It is hard to say how many people are working unregistered, as this form of work is so widespread.

The Independent Union of Serbian Metal workers state that together with work inspectors, they will enter 100 companies unannounced in one day in order to establish just how widespread the phenomenon is.

Ristanović says that even though fines can be as high as EUR 13,000, the courts work slowly and do not make full use of the possible fines, while workers themselves are reluctant to report violations of their own rights.

“The problem is that unregistered workers are often forced into cooperating with their employers, for fear that they will lose their jobs. The fact is, it’s mostly unqualified people that are working unregistered, of which there is an ever growing number on the job market, between 200,000 and 250,000, and it is mostly these people that are working ‘on the black’,” Ristanović explains.