Trade Union Independence Electric Power Company of Serbia, branch at the Nikola Tesla Power Plant in Obrenovac, made a decision on Tuesday to go on strike, in solidarity with the demands of the students, Nova ekonomija reports.
The union demands the fulfillment of all student demands, the determination of responsibility for the "catastrophic state of the electric power industry and the dismissal of the general director of EPS, the complete Executive and Supervisory Board of EPS, the Assembly of the company, as well as the Minister of Mining and Energy."
The decision to go on strike was signed by the chief trustee of the trade union Nezavisnost branch TENT Dragoslav Ljubičić, who was also appointed as the president of the Strike Committee.
Ljubičić explains to "Vreme" that this decision of the trade union stems from the state's inadequate response to the student demands, which have been circulating for a month and are well known to the competent institutions.
"In this way, TENT wanted to send public support to students who are leading a serious fight against corruption, and for a better future and the country," says Ljubičić.
The reign of corruption in EPS
The claws of corruption have long since sunk into the Electric Industry of Serbia, which cannot produce enough electricity due to incompetence and arrogance, claims Ljubičić.
"This threatens the electricity market in Serbia." The only activity in which Serbia had complete independence is now, due to the treacherous policy of this regime, brought to a position where we don't even have electricity independence", claims our interlocutor.
Coal production in Serbia dropped from 100.000 tons to 60.000 tons, and as Ljubičić says, a huge amount of money is spent on importing electricity. He also points to the disastrous management of hydropower reservoirs.
He reminded that until today, no one was responsible for the huge damage that occurred after the collapse and the dropping of blocks from the network in December 2021, when EPS was managed by Milorad Grcic.
Protest gatherings announced
The trade union announced that in the coming period they will also organize protests in front of the administrative buildings of EPS.
During that time, among the educators, who were perceived by a part of the public as harbingers of a general strike, there was a division between those who wanted to go on strike and those who reluctantly accepted the Government's offer of a salary increase.
"I don't know what led to this decision, but I want to remind all citizens that they don't have to be members of a trade union in order to support the strike demand of another trade union," concludes Ljubičić.
EPS: "Abuse for political purposes"
Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) announced on Wednesday (January 15) that the announcement of a strike by the trustees of the Nezavisnost trade union, a branch of the "Nikola Tesla" thermal power plant (TENT), represents the misuse of EPS for political purposes.
"That there is a desire for political points and media attention is indisputably evident from the reason for the announced suspension of work and the trustee's request to fulfill the demands of a certain number of students in the blockade," EPS announced.
It was emphasized that the call to suspend work is also "an attempt to manipulate the public by creating an untrue image that EPS workers participate in political events in the country."
"Politicians have no place in the company." By law, employees can organize a strike only in order to protect their professional and economic interests based on work. Considering that EPS ensures the energy security and safety of Serbia, the total suspension of work is illegal," it was stated in the announcement.
