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DISSOCIATED CONFEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS OF SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO TRANSFERRED A PART OF UNION PROPERTY TO THE
CENTER OF BELGRADE:

THE MONTENEGRINS HAVE BEEN GRANTED BUSINESS PREMISES WITH 714 sq. METERS OF SPACE




Belgrade, February 14, 2007
-Based on the Decision of the Council of the Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia and Montenegro, which has initiated the disassociation since the referendum in Montenegro, the Trade Union Confederation of Montenegro has taken the possession of 714 sq. meters of business premises in the building of former Confederation of Trade Unions of Yugoslavia in Belgrade, on January 30 this year – confirmed Senior Vice-President of the Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia, Ljuba Orbovic, for newspaper “Danas”.

-As he explained, the Montenegrin side has, upon the proclamation of independence of Montenegro, conditioned the disassociation of a big union organization by giving up a part of the premises on Nikola Pasic’s Square in Belgrade. Although the ownership (possession) of all the real estate of former Yugoslav Trade Union will be problematic until the final succession among all former republics of the SFRY, that has been expected for many years, Orbovic claims that the premises in the mentioned building are the property of the Trade Union Confederation of Montenegro which, until the disassociation of the two States, made up two organizations. Thereby, he justifies such an act of former Council of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Serbia and Montenegro that about 5% of the premises should be granted to the Trade Union of Montenegro, so that it will take possession of these premises. According to Orbovic’s words, except the Trade Union of Montenegro, no possible claimer of union’s property, namely, former member of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Yugoslavia, has ever sent a formal request for the grant of a part of the premises of former big Trade Union. The Senior Vice-President of the Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia asserts that the possession claimed by this Trade Union over a hotel on the island of Hvar is the only unsolved problem among the Trade Unions of former republics of the SFRY. Namely, as Orbovic explains, they are using union’s premises on the territories of their States, which were in the possession of the big Trade Union, as a form of compensation.

-Thereby, the Trade Union of Montenegro is contented and will not claim anything when succession occurs. The two Trade Unions signed an Agreement under which cooperation will be continued – concluded Orbovic for our newspaper.

Mr. Branislav Canak, President of UBU “Nezavisnost”, poses a question in the statement for the newspaper “Danas”, if one assumes that the word is about the property of former Confederation of Trade Unions of Yugoslavia (SFRY), concerning legal grounds of disposal of that property by the Confederation of Trade Unions of Serbia.

-If the word is about the property of former Confederation of Trade Unions of Yugoslavia (SFRY), why only one disassociated member gets a part of that property and the others do not? If, however, this isn’t the property of former Confederation of Trade Unions of Yugoslavia (SFRY), but the property of the Republic of Serbia, as I was persuaded formerly by the Prime Minister Zoran Đinđic (now deceased), then Zoran Zivkovic and finally Vojislav Kostunica, on which legal grounds the State of Serbia waives the right to its property in favor of a Trade Union from other State? At the same time, the authority representatives reject our demands and claim to property, and then this means that the State has understanding for the demands of a trade union from other State, but not for its union’s demands – stresses Canak.

Our collocutor puts a question: How is it possible that a trade union from other State gets a part of the property in Serbia, because a problem arises as to how this trade union is going to dispose of that property if one bears in mind the legal restriction that no trade union has the right to be registered in some other State.

-If we start from the fact that the word isn’t about tradesmen and businessmen, but about the need for achieving union’s objectives, i.e. what do they need that property for? Consequently, there is only one option that they want to trade, and then this means that Serbia will allow a trade union from other State to sell property in Serbia – says Canak, and adds that he is going to inform all international union organizations and international labor organizations of this matter.

According to his words, there would not have been any problems if one had adhered to distribution principles, according to which all disassociated members (Croatia, Slovenia, etc.) would get a part of the property, but as that wasn’t done in this way, Canak puts a question as to whether this means that, for instance, the UBU “Nezavisnost” can be granted premises in Podgorica. The President of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Montenegro, Danilo Popovic, announced that a trade union agency was going to act as intermediary between Serbia and Montenegro, in the granted business premises, in the employment of seasonal workers, as well as in regulating the retirement and other issues of interest to workers of the two countries. The last President of the Trade Union Organization of Serbia and Montenegro, Budimir Sljivancanin, judged the agreement with Serbian Trade Union on property distribution, as well as on continuation of cooperation on solidarity principle, as a “very decent conduct”.

‘’LESSORS’’ AND ‘’LESSEES’’ : ‘’LANDLORDS’’ AND ‘’SUBTENANTS’’
The Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia disposed of more than 60.000 sq. meters of space so far, what was left to them by former regime. It is estimated that only the building of the Trade Union Center (on the photograph), with 4.000 sq. meters area, is worth about Euro 7.5 million. The Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia disposes of approx. 13.000 sq. meters of space in the very center of Belgrade. The Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia disposes, in fact, of the entire trade union’s property (numerous buildings and recreation centers) the value of which has been informally estimated at approx. Euro 200 million. The other representative Trade Union, United Branch Union ‘’Nezavisnost’’ has performed its activities in rented premises for more than 15 years. In spite of a promise made in the public by the minister with portfolio, the ‘’Nezavisnost’’ Union has still not been granted the building in Nusiceva Street in Belgrade (newspaper ‘’DANAS’’).

 
     
 
 
 
 
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