Trade unions hold protest against reform laws

BELGRADE - Serbian trade unions held a protest in downtown Belgrade on Thursday against the bill of amendments to the labour law and the law on pension and disability insurance, which the government filed to the parliament for adoption on urgent procedure.

The protests were organised 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 Orbovic and Branislav Canak, 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 Dusko Vukovic 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 Mihajlovic 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,” Mihajlovic said.

UGS...