The Fiat Strike – No Turning Back

The strike at the automobile producer Fiat Chrysler, biggest exporter of goods from Serbia, is ongoing. Mašina’s journalists visited Kragujevac and talked to the workers and union representatives.

The strike at the automobile producer Fiat Chrysler, biggest exporter of goods from Serbia, is ongoing. Mašina’s journalists visited Kragujevac and talked to the workers and union representatives.

Progressive Law, Regressive System

The Law on Prevention of Domestic Violence makes provisions that could be considered progressive. While the public reception of this law was shaped by the right-wing misogynist narrative, its implementation is made questionable by the foreseen evaluation and assessment methods, as well as the systematic socio-economic inequality of women.

Narrow-mindedness of Dual Education

Draft Law on Dual Education faces criticism of professionals, trade unions and leftist organizations. This proposed regulation would in effect legalise child labour, make it extremely difficult for students of vocational schools to enroll in higher education institutions, cause additional deterioration of labour rights and generally worsen the position of workers in the labour market. Instead of being provided with quality education, students will be trained for the role of cheap and obedient labour force.

Serbian Countryside Struggling to Survive

The eligibility criteria for the public farm lease tender demonstrate a sincere desire of the government to please profit making interest of the large companies. Small independent farmers find it increasingly difficult to survive under the pressure put on by their competitors, which leads to further deterioration of the living conditions in the countryside.

Fifty shades of exploitation

Internships, traineeships and other programmes for acquiring work experience are increasingly becoming a precondition to getting a labour contract. Even though interns are performing roles of workers, in most cases they are not paid for them nor is their employment guaranteed after the programme has ended.