Trade unions stage protest against labor law

Trade unions stage protest against labor law

The protests were organized by two representative trade unions, the Alliance of Independent Unions of Serbia (SSSS) and United Branch Trade Unions (UGS) Independence.

The trade union presidents, Ljubisav Orbović and Branislav Čanak, signed on Tuesday the decision to launch a general strike in the territory of Serbia as of July 17 until the withdrawal of amendments to the laws from the parliament procedure. The decision was made after the Serbian government adopted the bill of amendments without regard for the legal procedure.

President of the Construction Workers Union of Serbia Duško Vuković told reporters that the amendments to the two laws 'deliver the invoice to employees for all political failures' made over the past decade.

He denied the criticism according to which the trade unions want to tumble the state, and underscored that trade unions and workers have been building the state for years on end.

According to him, the society and the country are already ruined enough and trade unions want to express their dissatisfaction over the fact that decisions are being adopted without the presence of their representatives.

SSSS Secretary Zoran Mihajlović called on employees “to tell the government that they have had enough and that they want to work and live off their work but meet no respect whatsoever.”

“We will not renounce out protests until laws are adopted to the merits of workers,” Mihajlović said.

UGS Independence representative Aleksandar Titović said that the new labor law is 'an anti-national law'.

Participants in the protest marched to the National Assembly building where MPs should adopt the bill of amendments to the labor law and the law on pension and disability insurance on Thursday. During their protest walk, protesters stopped at the seat of the Serbian president, whom they called on to refuse to sign the decree promulgating the two laws.

Protesters carried trade union flags and banners. The Serbian Interior Ministry released that the protests gathered around 4,200 citizens and that no incidents involving violation of public peace and order occurred.

The protest lasted less than two hours and ended by the delivery of the requests to the MPs of the National Assembly, whereby the trade unions demanded that the parliament withdraws from the procedure the bill of amendments to the labor law and the law on pension and disability insurance.

Leaders of representative trade unions announced new modes of trade union struggles against the adoption of the two reform laws which the government claims should make room for more investments, employment increase and countering gray economy.

They also announced new protests for Monday, July 21.