Serbia: trade unions and antitrafficking NGO ASTRA meet to discuss informal economy

On 28 of October 2009 in Belgrade a working meeting with Serbian Trade Unions representatives and NGO Anti-trafficking action ASTRA took place. The meeting was run by Sergeus Glovackas, as part of the PERC initiative framed in FNV Informal economy project and the ITUC-Antislavery initiative Creating a European coalition of NGOs and trade unions to prevent violence and protect women & young people in the workplace, with a specific focus on trafficking".

Marija Andelkovic “ASTRA” Chairperson informed about construction workers from Serbia and Republic Serpska BiH labour trafficking and exploitation case in Azerbaijan. Foreign capital (Dutch-Italian) recruitment agency, which was established by Serbians, gathered more than 200 hundred workers to build sport facilities in Azerbaijan. They promised to pay high salaries and 40 euro per diem to workers. Staff was recruited with the help of TV advertising. In Azerbaijan the workers were deceived; they were paid only 5 euros per day, for small faults they received financial penalties. Because of the lack of money they lived in desperate conditions and even starved. The unions decided to follow up the case and to make the responsible sanctioned.

It was agreed to organize round table conference with NGO and Unions in Belgrade, in the second half of January 2010, results will be presented for public and PERC TU and NGOs European conference on Informal Economy in Budapest on 10-12 of February 2010.

Zoran Ristic UGS”Nezavisnost” Informal Economy national coordinator informed that the project activity is going on stable under the prepared with CATUC action plan. Both centres cooperate very close on this issue.