Council of the Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia (CATUS) demands that all citizens receive living wages; the signing of collective agreements in all professions; genuine social dialogue and abolition of penalty points for all those who were forced to retire prematurely.
Unless the authorities fulfilled these demands, the biggest trade union confederation in Serbia would be forced to invite its members and members of other trade unions to take over the streets and not back down till the full realization of our demands.
This was unanimously concluded at today’s CATUS Council public session, in extended format, held in Belgrade, in front of the General Assembly of the Republic of Serbia. The session was attended by several hundreds of Council members, national trade union committees of autonomous trade unions of Serbia and councils of regional trade unions.
CATUS was forced to hold this public gathering in front of the Parliament in order to draw the attention of those in power and the public to low wages which don’t provide for workers’ decent life, absence of collective agreements and increasingly restrictive laws reducing workers’ rights.
Demands at the gathering were to urgently start social dialogue; involve trade union in the process of passing laws throughout all the stages, starting from formulating the draft; sign branch collective agreements and in agreement with trade unions urgently increase all wages, from minimum wage to the one enabling decent life of workers and their families.
