Labour Day Without Labour and Rights

May 1st in Serbia has long ceased to be a celebration of labour; instead, it must become a day of awareness that we are facing a struggle against a system of coercion and fear.

The rule of Aleksandar Vučić has turned the right to work into a tool for controlling people.

Workers today are threatened not only by insecure and underpaid jobs, poor working conditions and lack of protection, but also by the denial of their right to think freely, to speak, and to engage in trade union and political activity in defense of their labour and civil rights. Supporting students, civic protests, or opposition activities for many means risking pressure, harassment, and the loss of employment.

The overarching Labour Law is outdated, and so-called “reforms” deliberately divide workers into separate categories, reducing their rights and level of protection. In recent years, the number of foreign workers—who are exploited and completely deprived of rights—has been increasing, and as their share in the labour force grows, this erosion of rights inevitably spills over onto domestic workers.

Creating the conditions to rebuild solidarity among workers—capable of responding to the challenges of the 21st century—is one of our key priorities, best achieved through the implementation of European solutions and the adoption of EU directives in the field of labour rights and relations.

For Solidarity, therefore, accession to the European Union is not merely a foreign policy goal, but a framework in which workers will be protected through the rule of law, independent institutions, the right to unionize, protection from discrimination, and standards that prevent labour from being reduced to cheap commodity and employees to political hostages.

Solidarity advocates for a Serbia in which institutions protect workers, not the powerful; in which a job is not a reward for obedience; and in which the European path means achievable rights, state accountability, and the dignity of workers.