After almost a month, the Belgrade Philharmonic ended the strike, even though their two demands were not met. They say that they are hostages of bad laws and even worse regulations, and the disinterest of those in charge to change them
Belgrade Philharmonic announced that on Friday, April 4, she will hold a concert in the Kolarc Endowment Hall, and therefore the end strike.
Their strike was the longest of all that were organized in the cultural institutions of Serbia after the tragedy in Novi Sad, and there were quite a few.
Their demands, an increase in salaries to the national average and the election of a director, were not fulfilled.
We stay in the fight.
"We are ending the strike, but we remain in the fight. We endured as much as we could in these conditions, in this atmosphere, so as not to self-destruct," Igor Ranković, trombonist and representative of the Philharmonic in the Union of Music Artists of Serbia, told the "Vremena" portal.
The average salary in Serbia in December 2024 was 108.312 dinars, and the majority of BGF employees receive 77.788 dinars. The minimum wage for the largest number of employees in the Zagreb Philharmonic is 1.700 euros.
Given that they don't even have a Board nominating a director since last August, the fulfillment of the second requirement seems far away. By the way, this art house has been in an acting condition since September 29, 2021, when its director Ivan Tasovac passed away.
During the one-month strike, they had several meetings in the Ministry of Culture, one even with Minister Nikola Selaković. However, apart from understanding their problems, they did not get anything else.
The results of the Ministry of Culture, as well as the results of all other areas, depend on the Ministry of Finance, which, while it does not have the means or ability to find the necessary money, has other priorities. And that's where the story ends.
We are hostages.
In the announcement of the strike committee announcing the termination of the work stoppage, it is written:
"We took the strike as a radical decision in the fight for our position, and we are suspending it so that the musicians would not 'starve to death'. Our demands are blocked by bad laws and even worse regulations. That is why good will is not enough, we need the courage, interest and courage of those in charge to take responsibility for changing the laws and regulations, which we are hostage to. And until such a thing happens, we are failing thoroughly, with the explanation that we are failing under the law. And we always come to the conclusion that the problem is not money, but in ignorance, carelessness and lack of knowledge of the basic parameters of activity in culture among those who prescribe and enact laws".
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