2,700 discharges from “Zeleznice” by the end of June – Workers get severance pays of 200 EUR per year of service

(Photo: Ivana Vuksa)

“Blic” has learned that the workers will first be offered to leave the public company voluntarily and to use its social program.

- During the latest meeting with the representatives of the Ministries of Labor, Economy and Finance, the syndicates and the management were told that the workers would be offered severance pays in the amount of one third of the gross salary plus 50% of that part. In “Zeleznice”, this means 180- 200 EUR, which is the amount that will be payed per year of service – says the “Blic” source from “Zeleznice”.

This decision was communicated orally, while the official document should be delivered by Friday. They were also told at the meeting that it was planned to let go at least 2,700 people with the social program.

If, however, an insufficient number of employees apply for the voluntary departure, redundancies will be managed based on the systematizations which were done in all four companies founded after “Zeleznica” was restructured. According to those systematizations, this means over 3,000 people.

The Minister of Construction and Transport Zorana Mihajlovic says that the property inventory, separation balance sheet and the systematization were made in the meantime.

- We are having negotiations with the Ministries of Finance and Labor about severance pays for people who will no longer work. We have agreed to reduce the administration above all, and then, by a certain percentage, let go employees as well. Each company has given its own suggestions, while we’re acting more as technical support. It should all be done within the next two months at most. These are our obligations from the agreement with IMF – Mihajlovic says for “Blic”.

6,000 to leave by the end of the year

According to an earlier estimation made by the World Bank and the workgroup consisting of representatives of the Ministry of Construction, Transportation and Infrastructure and Labor, 6,000 people should leave “Zeleznice Srbija” by the end of 2017.

The state will have to set aside 39 mil EUR just for severance pays for redundancies in this public enterprise.