Untitled Document

NEWS

AN OPEN LETTER TO WORKERS OF ’’MAGNOHROM’’
THE STRIKE IS TO BE CONTINUED AND INTENSIFIED

Belgrade, April 13, 2007
’’At the moment when more than 2000 workers of ’’Magnohrom’’ are handed over to the mercy of ’’Magnohrom’’ Management and the majority owner, ’’Global Steel’’, workers rightfully ask a logical and necessary question: Well, where are those trade unions? In your company there are two unions, namely, the Independent and the Autonomous Union. It would be good that they compete mutually in getting the support of ’’Magnohrom’’ workers and be a sound competition to each other’’, it is said in an open letter of Dragan Matic, President of MWBU ’’Nezavisnost’’.

’’The latest events (strike) is a real test for a union and just then the Independent and the Autonomous Union show that they are not ready for such a situation. Employees say: They are corrupt! I don’t know if that is true, but the results of their work are poor. The fact is that people from the union are very well paid and they carry out unionist’s jobs in a professional way, they have various privileges and favors. All those rights have been acquired thanks to ’’Magnohrom’’ workers, union members. When a union member pays membership dues he must get as a return favor a proper, timely and high-grade protection and service. Do you feel this? Do you feel protected and safe? Are union leaderships highly skilled, honest and responsible in this situation? You, ’’Magnohrom’’ workers have the answer to that question.

It was questionable and unusual to me as a man who is a trade union leader that, independent of the two unions, the strike was conducted by colleagues not being trained and prepared for that job, and a strike is a ’’dangerous matter’’. How serious that is tells the fact that we have a Law on Strike. Such Strikers’ Committee worked the best it could. In the meantime, it seems that the employer silenced the representatives of the Autonomous and Independent Union, so that they should not be included. All of you, in addition to this ’’meditation’’ of mine, should ask everyone and me too, only one question: What to do?

My proposal is as follows:

1.To continue and intensify strikers’ activities in agreement with the existing Strikers’ Committee and help them to end the strike,
2.To work out that the Privatization Agency reminds ’’Global Steel’’ because of non-observance of the Purchase and Sales Contract,
3.To internationalize the strike in ’’Magnohrom’’ and make Kraljevo an agitated city, just the way Kragujevac and Bor act,
4.That all of you together strengthen the position of ’’Nezavisnost’’ Union through the admission of new members in order to secure representation to ’’Nezavisnost’’ Union and strengthen our negotiator’s position,
5.That one should engage the Agency for peaceful settlement of disputes.

-I am willing to discuss these proposals of mine with the Strikers’ Committee, union representatives and all of you, it is said at the end of open letter sent to ’’Magnohrom’’ workers by Dragan Matic, President of MWBU ’’Nezavisnost’’.

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