Students in blockade and five national trade unions will mark six months since the collapse of the railway station canopy in Novi Sad on May 1st, Labor Day, with a protest on the plateau in front of the Serbian government.
On the Instagram account “Studenti u blokadi” (Students in Blockade), it was also announced that from that day, which they called “a day of solidarity and joint struggle,” the “(student) struggle is moving into a new phase.”
“We are no longer just in blockades. This is a step towards radicalization that will enable new forms of pressure,” the statement said.
It was also stated that the Law on Strikes and the Labor Law are “the foundations of the system of exploitation” and that they must be changed.
“They protect the authorities, not the workers. These laws must be changed – mass work stoppage. We are fighting for the right to a life without fear. For workers, for students, for all of us,” the students stated. In a statement signed by the United Trade Unions of Serbia “Sloga,” the Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia, the United Branch Trade Union “Nezavisnost,” the Association of Free and Independent Trade Unions, and the Confederation of Free Trade Unions, it is stated that the protest represents a “continuation of the joint effort that began on March 22nd at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade,” when students in blockade and representatives of five trade union confederations in Serbia signed a cooperation agreement.
“We do not give up on the right to work, fair earnings, and intergenerational solidarity as the foundations for the survival of society and the pension system. The United Trade Unions of Serbia ‘Sloga’ point out with concern that wars and military interventions are increasingly on the agenda, while economies around the world are increasingly focused on the military industry, to the detriment of workers’ rights, social security, and the development of society. The crisis of capitalism is deepening, social inequalities are growing, democratic freedoms and trade union rights are under attack worldwide, and increasing military spending is pushing humanity into a war economy that deprives workers of their livelihoods and dignity,” the press release states.
The protest is scheduled for Thursday, May 1st, starting at 2 PM.
Article: Serbian Times Foto: Media