May 14, 2008.

All China Federation of Trade Unions

ATTN XU ZHENHUAN, VICE CHAIRMAN

Dear Colleague,

On our way home we have learnt the tragic news about the quake. On behalf of the Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia, our members and Serbian workers I express to Chinese people and workers, to you and the ACFTU the deepest condolences on the occasion of the devastating consequences of the quake that struck the Central Province of Sichuan.

Although we are aware of the fact that human lives can not be made up we are sure that people and workers of China will very soon successfully overcome consequences of the quake.

During our delegation’s visit to the ACFTU we have assured ourselves of enormous achievements and extraordinary results of Chinese workers’ and union members’ work. We have been equally impressed by the progress of your country and peoples’ and workers’ living standard improvement.

On behalf of our delegation, we thank you, the ACFTU and all colleagues that we had met for hospitality and opportunity to learn more about your activities and plans for the future ones. Please convey our greetings to the ACFTU Chairman Wang Zhaoguo.

I seize this opportunity to confirm our readiness to take part in our common activities in the frame of the forthcoming ILO’s conference as well as in our further bilateral cooperation.

With fraternal regards,

CATUS President

Ljubisav Orbović

May 14, 2008.

Delegation of the CATUS headed by the President Ljubisav Orbovic

visited All China Federation of Trade Unions

May 6-12, 2008

On the invitation of the All China Federation of Trade Unions a delegation of the CATUS headed by its President Ljubisav Orbović visited China May 6-12, 2008. Members of the delegation were the CATUS Vice-presidents Vlada Andrić, the President of the Belgrade CATU, Duško Vuković, the President of  the Construction and Building Materials Industry Workers’ Union of Serbia and Miodrag Bradonjić, Secretary of the Provincial Council of the CATU of Vojvodina.

A visit resulted from the long-standing good relations between the two organizations characterized by a fruitful exchange of opinions and experiences from their work and activities in the international field.

The delegation has visited Beijing and a city of Chindao in the Eastern Shandong Province. In Beijing the President Orbović has talked with a Vice Chairman of the ACFTU Xu Zhenhuan and has exchanged information about  current developments in the two countries as well as a role and activities of unions for the protection of workers. Mentioned also were important aspects of developments in the international field, policy, economy and union related.

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May 5, 2008.

 GENERAL COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT FINALLY SIGNED

On April 29, 2008 after dragging out for three years now by the Union of Employers of Serbia, the General Collective Agreement was signed. On behalf of the unions, the GCA was signed by the President of the CATUS Ljubisav Orbovic and the President of the UGS Nezavisnost Branislav Canak. Mr Stevan Avramovic, President of the Employers’ Association signed the GCA on behalf of the employers. Present were the President of the Republic of Serbia Mr Boris Tadic and Minister of Labour Mr Rasim Ljajic.

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May 2, 2008.

 CATUS MOBILIZES 15 000 WORKERS AT A RALLY IN BELGRADE

On the occasion of the May Day about 15 000 members of the biggest Serbian confederation gathered at Nikola Pasic Square in the very centre of Belgrade. Buses coming from all parts of Serbia started arriving a few hours before the beginning of the rally. Long columns of workers streamed towards the meeting point where a stage with loudspeakers was erected since early morning hours.

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April 2, 2008.

THE CATUS: WEAK  SOCIAL DIALOGUE IN SERBIA SERIOUSLY THREATENS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

One of the reasons for the protest that the Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia will organize on 2008 May Day is a state of social dialogue as a basic prerequisite for a sound economic and social development both at the level of the country and at the local level.

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March 26, 2008.

 CATUS protest on the May Day 2008

Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia (CATUS), all branch unions and trade union organizations and their membership have been expressing their dissatisfaction with the existing situation and drawing the attention of the employers and authorities in Serbia for some time now to the following:

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Belgrade

February 26, 2008.

THE CATUS LEADERS MET REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ILO

Slavica Savic, General Secretary of the CATUS, Dragan Zarubica, Vice-president and Ivan Pavicevic, International Secretary met Ms Petra Ulshoefer, Director of the ILO Regional Office in Budapest February 26, 2008 in the CATUS Council in Belgrade. As Ms Ulshoefer will occupy a new post in Geneva she took the opportunity of her farewell visit to introduce officially Mr. Jovan Protic, future the ILO’s coordinator for Serbia to the CATUS leaders. The establishment of the ILO office for Serbia will alleviate considerably communication with that organization and contribute to a more successful realization of projects that will follow.

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February 25, 2008.

The Social and Economic Council of Serbia decided

MINIMUM WAGE PER HOUR 70 RSD (0,75 €)

The Social and Economic Council of Serbia has taken a decision on a minimum wage according to which it would be 70 RSD (0,57 €) net per hour in the period January-June 2008. It is by 10,24% higher than the previous one.

February 21, 2008.

APPEAL TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION ORGANIZATIONS

Dear Colleagues,

It is for many years now that from our members in Kosovo and Metohija we have been receiving information depicting only some of horrors that the unfortunate non-Albanian workers are daily faced with. This time we are not going to speak about more or less known facts – about murders ethnically based, banishment of two thirds of non-Albanian population, plundering and private property destruction, mass demolition of churches.

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