Salary and pension cuts not socially just solution

BELGRADE - Salary and pension cuts are not the right solution from the standpoint of social justice, but they are the simplest way to solve the problem, Secretary General of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) Bernadette Segol stated on Thursday.

She underscored that even when the adoption of such measures is necessary, income cuts for citizens should come as the result of negotiations between trade unions and the employers and not as an imposed measure.

Segol participated in the international conference on industrial relations and social dialogue in Serbia and the EU in Belgrade on Thursday, which was organised by the Alliance of Independent Trade Unions of Serbia (SSSS) and the United Branch Trade Unions (UGS) Independence.

She underscored that this time no meetings with Serbian government representatives had been planned and added that the last time she visited Belgrade, she conferred with the then prime minister Ivica Dacic and first deputy prime minister Aleksandar Vucic.

UGS Independence and SSSS were granted full ETUC membership on October 22.