Minister condemns announced strike of parts of police force

Minister condemns announced strike of parts of police force

"Despite the fact that today many swear allegiance to Serbia and that they will protect its interests and its citizens, it is completely clear to me that it will only last until their personal ambitions are fulfilled," Stefanovic told Tanjug.

’’All those who today are announcing a strike in the police force are doing nothing good for the Serbian citizens or the Interior Ministry, but merely trying to benefit personally’’, the minister said.
"They can feel free to go on strike - the police will perform all tasks put before it by the state. Having a job in the Ministry of Interior Affairs is not a constitutional obligation, and those who do not wish to work today do not have to work tomorrow either," Stefanovic said.

Representatives of the Independent Union of the Police announced earlier on Wednesday that they would go on strike on September 26 over their poor material position and that they will not be securing the Pride Parade in Belgrade on September 28 if the event is given the go-ahead.

Four smaller unions vowed to join the representative union in the strike, but said that its members will be ready to intervene in case of large-scale security problems during the events announced for the weekend, including the Pride Parade, it was told at a press conference.

On the other hand, the Serbian Police Union dismissed as unnecessary both the strike and the requests by the five unions that have announced the strike for September 26.

Veljko Mijailovic, an official of the representative union, told Tanjug that efforts are already under way to deal with everything that the Independent Union of the Police cited as the reasons for the strike.