CITY REACHES AGREEMENT WITH TRADE UNIONS ON SPECIAL COLLECTIVE CONTRACT

Mayor of Novi Sad Mr. Miloš Vučević held a press-conference today at the City Hall, on the occasion of signing the special collective contract for public utility and other public enterprises, between the City of Novi Sad and three representative trade unions. The press-conference was also attended by the three members of the Novi Sad City Council who had been participating in the negotiations thus representing the City’s interest, as well as by the representatives of the three trade unions: Branch Trade Union of Public Traffic and utility Services “Nezavisnost” Novi Sad, Serbian Trade Union of Utility-Housing Employees – for the territory of Novi Sad, and The Novi Sad Trade Union of Utility-Housing Employees.

Mayor Vučević underlined that within the last three weeks, there have been constructive and open dialogues with the representatives of the unions, and that an agreement has been reached to sign the new special collective contract for public utility and other public enterprises founded by the City of Novi Sad.

- Today we have showed that in Novi Sad, for the last two and a half years continually, there has been a social dialogue, and that the unions and the City are partners in solving numerous issues and problems that we face. I am particularly glad that we managed to avoid situations seen in our city in previous years, and that after constructive dialogues, we succeeded in achieving best possible solutions for the given circumstances. We will sign the new special collective contract for a period of two years, while signing individual collective contract for public utility and other public enterprises still awaits us. City of Novi Sad and the unions, having considered the interests of employees, have enabled a larger capacity of the workers’ rights, all within the legal framework, City’s policy, as well as measures of the Government of Serbia. - emphasized Mayor Vučević.

Mayor Vučević also underlined that the issue of wages in public-utility enterprises is defined by the Labor Law, but also dictated according to economic potentials and capabilities of public utility and other public enterprises.

On behalf of the three representative trade unions, President of the Novi Sad Trade Union of Utility-Housing Employees Mr. Zoran Radosavljević addressed the journalists and emphasized that given the current circumstances, during the social dialogue with the City, best collective contracts have been negotiated,

- This contract will not disfavor any worker, rights of workers have been preserved in the same volume as they had been, while that wages are regulated in accordance with the new Labor Law already in force. Also, I believe that according to this two-year collective agreement, one can provide sound plans and programs for public utility enterprises, but also workers will be able to accomplish their own rights. – said Mr. Radosavljević.

In Nоvi Sаd, February 2nd 2015