Izvor: N1 televizija, 01.Maj.2018, 16:21 (ažurirano 02.Apr.2020.)
May 1 protests, detentions, celebration in Belgrade
The International Labour Day, a two-day holiday, started in Belgrade on Tuesday with unions' protest during which the police briefly detained two protesters, while other citizens enjoyed a beautiful weather in the city's popular picnic sites.
Two representative unions, the “Independence” and “The Association of Independent Unions”, organised a rally under the “For salaries to rise up and youngster to stay” slogan.
Their demands went a bit further from those >> Pročitaj celu vest na sajtu N1 televizija << the Chicago’s workers had on May 1, 1886, protesting to get an 8-hour labour day.
Apart from the unions’ issues like new jobs, the rise in salaries, an end to non-transparent privatisation which they say usually costs them jobs and some changes of the relevant laws, the unions in Serbia also demand independent judiciary, fight against corruption, access to public information and independent media.
The united unions of Serbia “Sloga” declined to take part, as did police and army’s unions.
In the meantime, Serbia’s citizens organised picnics at usual spots outside urban areas, with open fire barbecues. The firefighters warned of possible blazes in the vicinity of woods and asked citizens for caution.
Later in the day, police have briefly detained two protesters. They have been released but will be charged with misdemeanours, including the violation of public order.
The incident reportedly happened after some activists “verbally attack the visiting Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Zoran Djordjevic.”
The crowd yelled “A thief,” and “What is your salary?”
The Minister later said “those were young people” who, according to him, had been affected by a bad economic transition of the 2000s, which the current governmnet was trying to correct.
The Initiative for Belgrade organisation said their and another activist asked the minister about a worker’s suicide a year ago. Djordjevic reportedly laughed at them and police detained the activists.
