Solidarity for Serbian air traffic controllers

Unite, as a European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) affiliate, stands in unequivocal solidarity with the sacked trade union leaders of Serbian air traffic controllers union Sindikat kontrole lentenja (SKL) and is urging members to sign a petition calling for their reinstatement.

The two leaders, president Ranko Radovanovic and another union assembly member, were dismissed from their roles after their security clearances to air control towers were revoked in October.

Their clearances were revoked under the vague pretence of having a “negative opinion from the security services”, without due process or any transparency. Their dismissal comes just as the SKL finished a 40-day strike which culminated in victory. Both leaders were central to the success of this industrial action.

The ETF, Unite and other trade unions believe the leaders’ dismissal is a politically motivated attack, under a Serbian government regime where trade union rights are under threat more broadly.

After their dismissal, the ETF and European Trades Union Council (ETUC) sent a joint letter to Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić and Prime Minister Đuro Macut, demanding urgent intervention.

The letter read, “Unfortunately, this recent development in Serbia is no isolated case – it comes after other concrete attacks to the fundamental right to organise of Serbian aviation workers in recent years. In this regard, we recall the pending ILO complaint against the Government of Serbia concerning Serbia’s failure to adequately respect, protect, and uphold trade union rights and the principles of freedom of association enshrined in ILO Conventions No. 87 and No. 98, which Serbia ratified in November 2000.”

The letter went on to remind “Serbian authorities that, as a candidate for EU membership, Serbia has committed to progressively align its laws and practices with the EU … including Article 28 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union — which enshrines the right to collective bargaining and action and carries the same legal value as the EU Treaties.”

Unite’s Civil Air Transport (CAT) sector, whose representatives met with their ETF counterparts this week, has joined the call for the immediate reinstatement of the two dismissed SKL leaders.

Speaking on behalf of Unite’s CAT sector, CAT NISC chair Laszlo Marothy said, “It is unacceptable that air traffic controllers are in effect being penalised in Serbia for participating in lawful strike action. The dismissed union leaders will struggle to put food on the table for their families as punishment for simply doing their jobs representing their members.

“Air traffic management is stretched thin in Serbia as it is, and the sacking of workers will only further exacerbate the situation, which will have an undeniable impact on air transport in the region. The ETF and ETUC have already asked the Serbian president and prime minister to immediately intervene. We call on our members to sign a petition to support this request.”

You can sign the petition by clicking the link here.

Pictured (L-R) Unite CAT NISC chair Laszlo Marothy with SKL president and sacked air traffic controller Ranko Radovanovic

By Hajera Blagg