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18 May, 2000The government of Serbia ordered the confiscation of union materials and equipment.
SERBIA: The IMF has just received shocking news from the Association of Free and Independent Trade Unions that state authorities have shut down the union. Police stormed into the Belgrade headquarters of the AFITU, confiscating all their materials (documents, archives) plus every piece of office equipment, and has forbidden the union to use its offices. No reports have been made of injuries or arrests. The offices of the AFITU's newspaper, "Worker's Word", were also broken into, and everything from articles for their next issue to a scanner and even their paper clips disappeared. The union's president said that although conditions are very difficult, they are determined to continue their work.
Marcello Malentacchi, IMF general secretary, condemning these heavy-handed tactics of the state, declared that "such actions are unacceptable for all democratic-thinking people. Milosevic is attempting to silence the voice of workers in order to keep his dictatorship alive. When you start shutting down the independent press and trade unions, you must be running scared." The IMF general secretary believes that Milosevic may think the end of his regime is nearing and is resorting to drastic means to keep it afloat.
Earlier this week in Belgrade, under the Serbian government's orders, police squads broke into and took over the editorial offices of several independent media.
Marcello Malentacchi, IMF general secretary, condemning these heavy-handed tactics of the state, declared that "such actions are unacceptable for all democratic-thinking people. Milosevic is attempting to silence the voice of workers in order to keep his dictatorship alive. When you start shutting down the independent press and trade unions, you must be running scared." The IMF general secretary believes that Milosevic may think the end of his regime is nearing and is resorting to drastic means to keep it afloat.
Earlier this week in Belgrade, under the Serbian government's orders, police squads broke into and took over the editorial offices of several independent media.