TV 'Avala' on Sale

The owners of television "Avala", whose employees have been on strike for a month over unpaid salaries, is negotiating with a large global company on the sale of the control package of national broadcasters, upon which there will be held a meeting on Wednesday, 25th January, according 'Danas' newsagent. According to unofficial information, the representatives of that company should meet one of the owners of TV "Avala" Danko Djunic.

The source of "Danas" states that currently they are negotiating with local businessmand and corporate entities on recapitalization of television, and it is assumed that one of them is businessman Predrag Rankovic Peconi, whose lawyer has been recently seen in TV Avala's building. As recently published by the Anti-corruption Council, although there are no official statements, it is considered that the television 'Happy' is also owned by this businessman, "because all the companies that participate in the ownership of that station, are registered in Zemun at the same address where there are other firms whose ownership is attributed in media to Rankovic. "

If this television station gets sold, the owners are obliged to inform previously Republic Broadcasting Agency, which must approve the change of ownership. According to local regulations, a foreign person may own a majority of the ownership of a public media in Serbia, which means - up to 49 per cent stake. However, there were examples of foreign companies which registered because of that another daughter company in Serbia, which is listed as the owner of 51 percent of the capital, while 49 percent remains in "direct" ownership" of that company from abroad.

Employees of TV "Avala" who have been on strike for the past month have returned this week, information about the strike in the left upper corner of the screen, which were previously removed as a sign of goodwill towards the new editor in chief Dusan Pancic. In the television building, it is said that the management plans to move production in another building, perhaps in the room of TV Pink, to avoid inserting a "strike plate" in a corner of the screen.

Employees gave a seven days deadline for something to change or else they will continue with the radicalization of the strike. However, due to the announced meeting with foreign companies on the sale of television, the employees will extend this deadline until Friday. If there is no news, the employees will completely stop the broadcast, so for 24 hours only the strike lable will be broadcast on small screens.

Payment of salaries or the infringement procedure

Director of the Labour Inspectorate Predrag Perunicic stated for 'Danas' that the labor inspector made a decision that orders the employer of TV "Avala" to pay all of unpaid wages for the months of July, August, September, October and November of 2011, within eight days. According to his words, if the employer fails to pay wages to employees within the time limits specified in the decision, the inspector shall submit an application against him for misdemeanor charges.