Student List: "Qualified workers have nothing to fear"; "End of political patronage in public sector hiring"

The speakers included Stefan Stevanović, a lawyer from Kragujevac and Student List candidate; Jugoslav Ristić, a long-time trade union activist, former head of the Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions in Kragujevac and incoming MP; and Matija Lazarević, a law student at the University of Kragujevac.

Student List alleges politically motivated hiring in Kragujevac

Stevanović warned of what he described as widespread hiring across local government bodies and public institutions in Kragujevac, including permanent appointments of individuals who had previously been unemployed or held temporary contracts.

According to the Student List, information received from citizens suggests that many of these appointments are not based on genuine staffing needs but are intended to secure jobs for party activists and individuals associated with the outgoing government.

The movement also claimed that numerous requests had been submitted to the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government and other ministries seeking approval for permanent employment across municipal institutions and publicly funded organisations.

The Student List pledged to introduce transparent recruitment procedures based on professional qualifications and open competition for public sector positions at both national and local levels.

Representatives also highlighted workers' rights as a central part of their programme, developed in cooperation with students and experts from university centres across Serbia.

"Employees have no reason to fear. We will work to ensure that their rights are fully respected, as guaranteed by the Constitution and the law," the movement said.

It encouraged workers facing discrimination to seek protection from institutions operating independently and in accordance with the law.

Public company appointments to be based on qualifications

Asked whether political connections to the Student List could influence appointments to senior positions in public companies, Stevanović rejected the possibility.

"Supporting the Student List is not, and must never be, a recommendation for holding public office, especially important management positions," he said.

He identified the widespread use of acting appointments as a major problem, arguing that some public officials remain in temporary management roles for years despite a six-month legal limit.

According to Stevanović, prolonged acting appointments leave officials vulnerable to political pressure.

The Student List therefore proposes enforcing the six-month limit and making open, merit-based recruitment mandatory for both acting and permanent management positions.

Movement pledges to reduce insecure employment

Student List representatives also criticised insecure employment arrangements, describing them as a serious form of labour exploitation.

They argued that such arrangements could not be abolished entirely because of Serbia's obligations under an International Labour Organization convention ratified during the SNS administration.

However, the movement pledged that state institutions and local governments would avoid using these employment practices and instead hire workers directly when permanent staffing was needed.

"People performing some of the most demanding jobs, such as sanitation workers who collect rubbish and empty containers, should not be forced into insecure forms of employment," the representatives said.