22 February, 2010
ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda met with the Trade Union of Workers of the Electric Power Industry of Serbia (EPS-TU) and affiliate Nezavisnost in Belgrade, as well as toured the successful national pharmaceutical, Galenika, on a recent visit to the country.
At EPS-TU, Warda met with Milan Dordevic, National President of EPS-TU, Miodrag Rancovic, the President of the union at Kolivara inside EPS-TU, and Milan Kovasevic, the former President of the regional energy network Retunsee.
Both parties pledged renewed high levels of coordination in the ICEM South East European Energy Network. The ICEM is also becoming more relevant to the EPS company in regard to foreseeable strategic partnering between the union and global energy companies setting up in Serbia. The ICEM will be invited to oversee a dialogue between EPS and other Serbian unions, where relations have recently been poor.
Warda then met with another ICEM Serbia affiliate, Nezavisnost, and President Milorad Panovic and Dragan Vesic at the union’s head office in Belgrade. A dividing issue within Serbia’s trade union movement has been privatisation. The ICEM is intent to see Nezavisnost and EPS-TU sit down to commence dialogue on this important issue. There is agreement between Nezavisnost and another ICEM affiliate, the Autonomous Union of Employees in Science and Research of Serbia (SSS), based on a study that both unions underwent some time ago. Nezavisnost would like to see the study serve as a base for all unions to develop a joint strategy.
Warda went on to visit the national pharmaceutical company Galenika, which employs some 2,500 workers. Workers at the company are represented by Nezavisnost and SSS. Both trade union representatives and management at the company described labour relations as a best case example in Serbia, with a good contract and social programme in place. The company is currently seeking strategic partnerships with foreign companies.