PM: There will be no pay and pension freeze

BELGRADE Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said on Friday that the government's economic policy is aimed improving the living standard. According to Dacic, his cabinet also aims to "increase the number of employed people and create jobs." PM: There will be no pay and pension freeze Speaking on Friday, he made it clear that there would be no freezing of salaries and pensions. "After decades of dealing with political issues, it is high time the government placed an emphasis on social and economic topics. Otherwise, Serbia will not exist," Dacic warned. At a ceremony marking 110 years since the creation of a partnership and united trade union organization - the Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia- Dacic noted that Serbia wants to join the EU "and espouse its contemporary values, and not some economic and social models from 19th century." Speaking about the rights of workers, the Serbian prime minister underscored that Serbia is not a country in which everything is allowed, and that laws must be obeyed, so no one, "not even a foreign investor," has the right to prevent workers from organizing themselves into trade unions. Dacic stressed that Serbia's economic policy must be based on the adherence to the law, re-industrialization and social dialogue, as the onus is on the government to ensure social justice to an extent to which that is possible. "Leftist parties should be a natural ally of trade unions in their fight for social rights and justice, as the government cannot pursue a different policy from the one that is in the interest of workers, i.e. trade unions," said Dacic, who is also leader of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS). “It is in our interest that our small country is building a modern society, and nowadays that means that workers' rights and the system of social justice should be a basis of the society,” the Serbian prime minister said. (Beta) Bad economic policy to blame, not crisis Bad economic policy is to blame for the situation in the Serbian economy, not the global crisis which was used in Serbia as an alibi for further cuts in the rights and dismissal of employees, President of the Association of Independent Trade Unions of Serbia (SSSS) Ljubisav Orbovic stated on Friday. During a special academy to mark 110th anniversary of the trade union partnership and the existence of a single trade union organisation from which SSSS resulted, Orbovic warned that the present situation is unsustainable and leads Serbia to further instability and separates it from the social and economic progress. The truth is, the situation in the Serbian economy is the result of transition which is taking an eternity, bad privatisations, flawed laws, tolerance and abuse, unnecessary risks and, in a word, a completely wrong economic policy, Orbovic said. It is not enough to just wish for or dream of a better future, we need to build it ourselves and fight for it, Orbovic said and added that the future can be built by dignified work and fight with all means available to trade unions. Orbovic warned that the purchase power of socially most vulnerable groups is lower than a century ago and workers are facing disrespect of laws that guarantee their rights and permanent pressures from foreign investors, AmCham and some other organisations of employers to additionally reduce the rights. The SSSS academy was attended by Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, Deputy Prime Minister Jovan Krkobabic and Serbian parliament speaker Nebojsa Stefanovic. (Beta) Tanjug

PM: There will be no pay and pension freeze

Speaking on Friday, he made it clear that there would be no freezing of salaries and pensions.

"After decades of dealing with political issues, it is high time the government placed an emphasis on social and economic topics. Otherwise, Serbia will not exist," Dačić warned.

At a ceremony marking 110 years since the creation of a partnership and united trade union organization - the Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia- Dačić noted that Serbia wants to join the EU "and espouse its contemporary values, and not some economic and social models from 19th century."

Speaking about the rights of workers, the Serbian prime minister underscored that Serbia is not a country in which everything is allowed, and that laws must be obeyed, so no one, "not even a foreign investor," has the right to prevent workers from organizing themselves into trade unions.

Dačić stressed that Serbia's economic policy must be based on the adherence to the law, re-industrialization and social dialogue, as the onus is on the government to ensure social justice to an extent to which that is possible.

"Leftist parties should be a natural ally of trade unions in their fight for social rights and justice, as the government cannot pursue a different policy from the one that is in the interest of workers, i.e. trade unions," said Dačić, who is also leader of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS).

“It is in our interest that our small country is building a modern society, and nowadays that means that workers' rights and the system of social justice should be a basis of the society,” the Serbian prime minister said.

Bad economic policy to blame, not crisis

Bad economic policy is to blame for the situation in the Serbian economy, not the global crisis which was used in Serbia as an alibi for further cuts in the rights and dismissal of employees, President of the Association of Independent Trade Unions of Serbia (SSSS) Ljubisav Orbović stated on Friday.

During a special academy to mark 110th anniversary of the trade union partnership and the existence of a single trade union organisation from which SSSS resulted, Orbović warned that the present situation is unsustainable and leads Serbia to further instability and separates it from the social and economic progress.

The truth is, the situation in the Serbian economy is the result of transition which is taking an eternity, bad privatisations, flawed laws, tolerance and abuse, unnecessary risks and, in a word, a completely wrong economic policy, Orbović said.

It is not enough to just wish for or dream of a better future, we need to build it ourselves and fight for it, Orbović said and added that the future can be built by dignified work and fight with all means available to trade unions.

Orbović warned that the purchase power of socially most vulnerable groups is lower than a century ago and workers are facing disrespect of laws that guarantee their rights and permanent pressures from foreign investors, AmCham and some other organisations of employers to additionally reduce the rights.

The SSSS academy was attended by Prime Minister Ivica Dačić, Deputy Prime Minister Jovan Krkobabić and Serbian parliament speaker Nebojša Stefanović.