Just a few months ago, the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, triumphantly pointed out at the "Gruner" plant in Vlasotinac that "it is a big thing for our country" that this German company is right on our soil.
Not only did he announce jobs for 200 people and that the average salary will not be less than 50.000 dinars, but he also confirmed that "Gruner" received three million euros from Serbia.
That was in October 2022. The reality at the beginning of May 2023 is completely different. There are about thirty workers, according to the portal Nova.rs already "failed", and dismissals are being prepared for so many more. Also, those who work have an average salary of around 40.000 dinars.
The management of the Gruner factory in Vlasotinac informed its workers that a decision has been made - 67 workers will be out of a job. Namely, they will determine which workers are redundant, and there will be no more room for them in the factory.
"Gruner" promised that no one would be fired for five years
The workers were informed about this decision through a notice board, on which an official note on the determination of redundant workers was hung.
As Jelena Milošević, MP from the Freedom and Justice Party (SSP), told "Nova", the Gruner factory signed an agreement with the municipality of Vlasotince, in which it undertook to employ 200 workers. In addition, part of the contract obliged Gruner not to lay off any of those 200 workers for a period of five years.
"The contract on the transfer of land to Gruner from the municipality of Vlasotince was signed three years ago. According to that contract, Gruner was obliged to employ 200 workers. This was not respected, the workers were just moved from plant to plant. Also, there must be no layoffs within five years from the signing of the contract, until which two more years are left," says Milošević.
As the interlocutor of "Nova" further explains, in case of breach of contract, Gruner is obliged to pay for the ceded land at the market price.
And this is not the first time Gruner has broken a contract. Namely, layoffs in Gruner began in April. At that time, about thirty workers lost their jobs. At the time, they said that they were dismissed "by fraud and under blackmail". As they said recently, no one was spared - a single mother was also fired, as well as a man who only had a few days left until his disability pension.
They emphasized that they were "hastily forced" to terminate their employment contract by agreement, with the promise that, if they signed, they would be returned to work in August. Only after signing, they found out that they lost their right to compensation from the National Employment Service, as well as severance pay.
At the time, Gruner denied that there had been layoffs at all, but that most likely, due to reduced demand due to the war in Ukraine, the number of employees would be reduced.
Only after the media wrote, the decision to pay "stimulative severance pay" to the dismissed workers was announced on the bulletin board.
Vučić bragged about the subsidy
In October of last year, the President of Serbia proudly pointed out, when he came personally to the "Gruner" plant, that the state gave 3,2 million euros to this company.
"This company invested 3,5 million euros for the new plant, and there are also salaries. I'm especially happy to see a lot of kids coming out of high school. I think it is a big thing for our country", said Vučić at the opening of the facility.
He proudly added that salaries in that area went from 238 to 437 euros - as if 51.000 dinars is enough money for a dignified life.
By the way, several former employees of Gruner said that they earned about 40.000 dinars a month.
I.Đ./Nova.rs
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