On Wednesday, December 21, 2022, the Republic Agency for Peaceful Resolution of Labor Disputes hosted the students of the senior year of the Faculty of Law of the University of Belgrade reading the labor law. The visit was organized within the framework of the signed Cooperation Agreement with the Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade and was led by Prof. Dr. Ljubinka Kovačević and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Filip Bojić.

The visit was opened by the Agency Director, Dr. Ivica Lazović, who thanked Prof. Dr. Ljubinka Kovačević for her contribution to the promotion of the concept of peaceful resolution of labor disputes and on that occasion presented her with the Agency Plaque for outstanding cooperation, continuous support in the training of conciliators and arbitrators, and professional consultation in practice. In continuation of the visit, he introduced the students to the competences of the Agency, deadlines by which the proceedings before the Agency are completed, as well as the statistics of proceedings initiated in the previous period. Mr. Lazović paid special attention to the advantages of these proceedings before the Agency in comparison with the court proceedings, for all parties in the dispute.

Dragana Andonovska, a senior adviser at the Agency, presented examples from the Agency practice to the students. She showed how, when parties to the dispute act in good faith, even some of the most complicated labor disputes can be resolved peacefully, avoiding the lengthy court proceedings.

The opportunity to learn about the Agency operations ended with a discussion where students asked questions and expressed their opinions and dilemmas about alternative ways of resolving labor disputes in the Republic of Serbia.

The Republic Agency for Peaceful Resolution of Labor Disputes was awarded a Plaque for contribution to social dialogue and successful cooperation by the Union of Construction Workers and Construction Materials Industry of Serbia (SRGIGMS), at the session of the Republic Board of this Union, which was held on December 13, 2022, in Belgrade.

The the trade union presiden, Saša Torlaković, presented the Agency with a plaque for successful cooperation with SRGIGMS. While thanking the Agency for what had been done so far, he emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation and intensifying activities in order to encourage union members in greater numbers to settle all labor disputes peacefully.

Dragana Andonovska, head of the Agency Group for Legal and Professional Affairs, presented the work and competences of the Agency to those present. With special reference to examples from previous practice, she reminded the participants of all advantages associated with peaceful settlement of labor disputes.

The meeting was also attended by the SSSS President Ljuba Orbović, Dule Vuković, State Secretary in the Ministry of Construction Dragan Stevanović, Director of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Dunja Radojičić and numerous representatives of this union.

The Republic Agency for Peaceful Resolution of Labor Disputes presented its work upon an invitation from the Association of Trade Unions of Serbia at the meeting held by the union from December 7 to 9 on the Divcibare mountain. The Agency was represented by the Director, Dr. Ivica Lazović, who presented the Agency, while Mira Basta addressed the audience representing the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs.

At the meeting, representatives of trade unions, over sixty in all, from different branches and local self-governments of the Republic Serbia, could learn first-hand about the Agency operations so far and benefits provided by the peaceful settlement of labor disputes.

In addition to the representatives Agencies and Ministries, the participants were addressed by Peter Milovanović, president of the Association of Trade Unions of Serbia, as well as by other trade union representatives from different branches under the umbrella of this union.

The Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes held the Second Interactive Training for Conciliators and Arbitrators in 2022. The training on "Labor disputes in practice" took place on December 2, 2022 at the “Serbia” Palace in the presence of a large number of conciliators and arbitrators.

The Agency Director, Dr. Ivica Lazović, welcomed the participants and emphasized the importance of continuously holding such events where conciliators and arbitrators have the opportunity to improve their knowledge, exchange experiences and gain new knowledge related to the current judicial practice.

Brankica Janković, Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, presented the Commissioner's scope of work to the audience with a special focus on protection against discrimination, as an area we pursue together, but also highlighting the upcoming intensive cooperation. She emphasized that there was plenty of room for cooperation between the Agency and the Commissioner, referring to a project to be implemented next year in partnership between the German GIZ, International Labor Organization, Commissioner for the Protection of Equality and the Agency. Jovan Protić, the ILO coordinator for Serbia, introduced the participants to the current activities of the International Labor Organization.

An inspiring lecture on the topic of preventing discrimination at work and related to work was held by prof. Dr. Ljubinka Kovačević from the Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade.

Dr. Marjana Trkulja, a psychiatrist from the "Dr. Dragomir Karajović" Institute of Occupational Medicine of Serbia, spoke about abuse at work, its recognition and prevention, as well as the consequences it leaves on individuals and the working environment in general.

A particularly interesting and useful part was an opportunity to learn about the current case law in the field of labor disputes, which was elaborated by Predrag Trifunović, a retired judge of the Supreme Court of Cassation and Dr. Bojan Božović, a judge of the High Court from Novi Sad. Prof. Dr. Živko Kulić, conciliator and arbitrator of the Agency since its foundation presented his experience in peaceful resolution of labor disputes to the participants.

Facilitated by the mediation of the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes, a joint recommendation on peaceful resolution of a collective labor dispute regarding the application of the special collective agreement for employees in primary, secondary and preschool institutions on the territory of the City of Novi Pazar was signed.

The procedure before the Agency was initiated upon the initiative of "Independence" GSPRS (Branch Union of Educators of Serbia) and in connection with the calculation and payment of compensation for the expenses for commuting to and from work for employees in primary, secondary schools and preschool institutions in accordance with the special collective agreements.

The City of Novi Pazar agreed to participate in the process of peaceful settlement of the labor dispute, and Mr. Nihat Biševac, the Mayor of the City of Novi Pazar, took an active role in the discussions. With their involvement and contribution, the representatives of the local self-government showed understanding for the dispute that arose and expressed their full commitment to resolving it peacefully.

Dejana Spasojević Ivančić, conciliator and arbitrator of the Agency, was the appointed acting conciliator. At the first hearing the Conciliation Board was set up, in accordance with the Law, and included, in addition to the conciliator, representatives of the parties to the dispute, Srđan Slović, the president of the "Nezavisnost" GSPRS for the union and Ulfeta Demčović for the city administration for the proper and delegated affairs of the City of Novi Pazar.

After three hearings, the parties to the dispute reached an agreement on the way to resolve the dispute, namely that the price of the commuting ticket will be determined based on the actual prices of public transport providers, depending on the zone, which are precisely determined at the City of Novi Pazar.

Based on the agreement reached, on November 30, 2022, the Recommendation on how to resolve the collective labor dispute was signed at the Agency premises, and the Agreement was initialed and forwarded to the Mayor of the City of Novi Pazar to sign it off.

Representatives of the "Nezavisnost" GSPRS and the City of Novi Pazar showed once again how the social dialogue between employees and employers is conducted properly, deciding on the procedure for peaceful resolution of the collective labor dispute, and in accordance with the recommendation of the Government of the Republic of Serbia to settle these disputes by institutional mechanisms.

At the meeting entitled "Introduction of Benefits of Peaceful Resolution of Labor Disputes for Trade Union Representatives", which was held on November 18, 2022, the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes presented its work to the union representatives of all major unions with which the Agency cooperates.

The meeting was opened by Dr. Ivica Lazović, the Agency director, who thanked the attendees for recognizing the Agency as an institution they can turn to in order to exercise their rights, with the hope that these relations will intensify and that in the future an even greater number of labor disputes will be resolved before the Agency preferring it over the court. He pointed out the importance of informing trade union representatives about the services provided by the Agency and on that occasion pointed out that gatherings of this type should be held on an annual basis.

Dragana Andonovska, a senior adviser at the Agency, informed the audience about the history of the Agency, its competences and results of its work so far. Prominent conciliators and arbitrators of the Agency, prof. Dr. Živko Kulić and Dejana Spasojević Ivančić, spoke about examples from the practice of peaceful resolution of individual and collective labor disputes, pointing out the advantages of this concept and highlighting the obstacles they face in their work.

During the meeting, Certificates of Appreciation were presented to prominent representatives of trade union organizations who contributed to the recognition of the Agency as an institution before which labor disputes are resolved in a quick and efficient manner. Certificates of appreciation were presented to Rade Erceg, Violeta Gojković, Predrag Đurić, Dragomir Milošević and Radica Ilić.

At the end of the meeting, the participants had the opportunity to ask questions and participate in the discussion.

The collective labor dispute at the Niš Institute for Emergency Medicine in was resolved amicably through the Republic Agency for the Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes, on the occasion of concluding a collective agreement with the employer.

This procedure was initiated based on the proposal for the initiation of a procedure for the peaceful settlement of a collective labor dispute between the Union of the Niš Institute for Emergency Medical Services (SZZHMP), and the employer, i.e. the Niš Institute for Emergency Medical Services. Both parties agreed to resolve the dispute peacefully before the Agency.

Prof. Dr. Goran Obradović was appointed as the acting conciliator. He set up the Conciliation Board at the first hearing including representatives of the parties to the dispute and the acting conciliator. After three hearings, a joint recommendation was agreed suggesting the way to resolve the disputed issue. All parties to the proceedings unanimously adopted the proposed Agreement, after which the Dispute Resolution Agreement was signed. If the subject matter of the dispute is a collective agreement, the law stipulates that the agreement becomes the basis for concluding, amending and/or supplementing the collective agreement. If, however, the subject matter of the dispute is not a collective agreement, the agreement has the power of an enforceable document.

In this way, at the Niš Institute for Emergency Medical Services, the representatives of the employer and the trade union gave another example of how social dialogue can be successfully conducted, by opting for the procedure for the peaceful resolution of a collective labor dispute in accordance with the recommendation of the Government of the Republic of Serbia that labor disputes be resolved through institutional mechanisms.

With the help of the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes, the collective labor dispute at "Surčin" Public Enterprise was resolved by adopting the conciliator's recommendation, which was voted for by all the members of the Conciliation Board. The collective labor dispute, the subject matter of which is the right to union organization and action, was initiated at the proposal of the "Surčin" PE Free Trade Union.

At the first hearing and in accordance with the law Emila Spasojević, the acting conciliator, set up a Conciliation Board composed of the conciliator as the chairperson and representatives of all parties to the dispute. After two hearings, the parties to the dispute agreed on a joint recommendation, which was put to a vote and adopted. In accordance with the result of the vote, and upon the request of the parties to the dispute, the conciliator made a recommendation on how to resolve the collective labor dispute.

The employer and the trade union organization agreed to provide appropriate conditions for the trade union's activities, primarily technical and spatial as well as access to information necessary for trade union operations. They also agreed that all future disputes would be resolved peacefully and through social dialogue.

Two recent cases of successful participation of conciliators in collective bargaining at the JP “Zavod za udžbenike nastavna sredstva” (Institute for Textbooks and Teaching Aids) and "HBIS GROUP Serbia Iron & Steel doo" once again highlight the importance of this mechanism for all stakeholders in collective bargaining, for the employer, employees and founder.

The Law on Peaceful Resolution of Labor Disputes stipulates that participants in the conclusion of a collective agreement can submit a request to the Agency asking for participation of a conciliator in collective bargaining in order to provide assistance and prevent the occurrence of disputes. That Request informs on the type of collective agreement, participants, place and time of negotiations, and the joint proposal includes the name and surname of the conciliator.

The conciliator in the collective bargaining process attends the negotiations, identifies proposals that are not in accordance with the law and other regulations and points them out to the participants, and also provides assistance to the participants in order to prevent any possible disputes.

Based on that premise, the agency was included in collective bargaining at the “Zavod za udžbenike nastavna sredstva” and "HBIS GROUP Serbia Iron & Steel doo", where the conciliators were present to contribute to the negotiations. Both employers and their employees, i.e. trade unions, in these companies represent positive examples of good practice and readiness for social dialogue, aimed at finding sustainable solutions in accordance with the regulations for all controversial issues.

Referring to the case of a female employee of the Water Supply Public Utility Company (PUC) who believed she was exposed to mobbing, which attracted media attention [more on the link]((http://www.pink.rs/drustvo/429239/'smatram-da-sam-premestena-po-kazni'-samohrana-majka-tvrdi-da-je-bila-zrtva-mobinga-tri-posla-za-tri-meseca-smanjen-koeficijent-i-plata-ogla) it was yet again confirmed that the Agency is the right address for all who think they are victims of mobbing.

The female employee of this company filed a proposal for peaceful settlement of the labor dispute before the Agency believing that she was exposed to mobbing. Following provisions of the Law on Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes the Agency sent the proposal to the other party, the employer, i.e. the Water Supply PUC in Lazarevac, for consent. The employer agreed to resolve the case peacefully, in line with the recommendation of the Government of the Republic of Serbia given in Conclusion 05# 116-8060/2015 ("Official Gazette RS" Vol. 67/15), by which the public sector, i.e. all institutions and organizations financed from the budget are advised to resolve all collective and individual labor disputes through the Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes.

After two hearings, the employer and employee showed a high level of responsibility to resolve all disputed issues, and agreement was reached on all points of dispute. It was concluded that individual legal documents of the employer governing the rights and obligations resulting from the labor relationship could not be used for the protection of rights relating to abuse at work, but that misunderstanding of several aspects was still present. All disputed issues were resolved in a constructive dialogue and intention to produce pleasant working atmosphere without disturbed interpersonal relationships. Eventually, the parties reached an agreement which was confirmed by arbitration decision.

In September of the current year another case of a female employee of a court who believed she was exposed to mobbing at the work was also resolved before the Agency. She filed her proposal to the Agency and the Agency forwarded it to the employer for consent. The employer agreed to have the case resolved peacefully before the Agency. Only one discussion was sufficient to resolve all disputed issues and bring the procedure to an end for the general good with mutual apologies and handshakes. After that, the acting arbitrator chairing the discussion concluded the procedure with consent of both parties.

The examples of our cases only illustrate and confirm that the Agency is the right address for all who believe to be exposed to mobbing. The procedures are a good alternative to the Law on Prevention of Abuse at the Work or lengthy judicial proceedings.

Resorting to the 2018 Amendments to the Law on Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes the Agency resolves the cases by making an effort to reconcile the parties and reach a mutually acceptable solution for behaviors and relationships that a person may experience as mobbing, or conflict or misunderstanding. In order to normalize relationships in the working environment, promote good working atmosphere, avoid lengthy court procedures and additional deterioration of relationship with the employer, the Agency resolves these procedures by reaching an agreement between the parties which is subsequently confirmed by a legally binding and enforceable arbitration decision. It is praiseworthy that an increasing number of employers and employees recognize advantages of this procedure and trust the Agency, contrary to lengthy court proceedings.

On Wednesday, 26 October 2022, an Agreement on cooperation between the Faculty of Law for Commerce and Judiciary of the University Business Academy in Novi Sad and the Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes was signed. The aim of the Agreement is to establish cooperation of the signatories, which will contribute to development and improvement of capacities of both the Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes and the Faculty of Law for Commerce and Judiciary. Signing of the agreement opens up possibilities for additional training and practice for the law students, as well as for the Agency conciliators and arbitrators; The concept of peaceful settlement of individual and collective labor disputes will be additionally promoted among students, information and experiences will be shared, participation in implementation of projects encouraged, organization of seminars and gatherings jointly fostered, publishing activities in the areas of mutual of interest additionally advanced.

The agreement was signed by Dr Ivica Lazović, the Director of the Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes, and Prof. Dr Milan Počuča, the Dean of the Faculty of Law for Commerce and Judiciary. On the occasion it has been acknowledged that cooperation between two institutions is already in place and that the Faculty of Law runs the Center for Peaceful Settlement of Disputes and that a large number of conciliators and arbitrators already participate in teaching activities at the Faculty providing solid foundations for more intensive cooperation, especially in terms of student practices and introduction to the legal concept of peaceful settlement of labor disputes.

The Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes mediated in a case of collective labor dispute at the Vinča Nuclear Science Institute in Belgrade and resolved it by adoption of the conciliator’s recommendation. The collective labor dispute on the conclusion of a collective agreement was initiated by the joint proposal of the Vinča Nuclear Science Institute and two trade unions, the Vinča SSSS INN and the Vinča "Nezavisnost" (Independence).

Following provisions of the law at the first hearing the acting conciliator, Dr Alexander Antić, set up the Conciliation Committee composed of the conciliator as the chair and representatives of all parties in dispute. After three hearings, the parties in dispute brought their positions closer but still failed to fully agree on all disputed issues. Accordingly, and upon request of the parties in dispute, the conciliator presented a recommendation on how to resolve the collective labor dispute.

Having opted for the peaceful settlement of the collective labor dispute, both the employer and trade union organizations have shown how a social dialogue of the parties can result in a proper solution in line with the recommendation of the Government of the Republic Serbia to resolve disputes amicably.

On October 12 the Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes was a host to the students of the Faculty of Law University of Belgrade. The visit was organized in cooperation of the Agency and Students Organizations for International Cooperation (SAMS) within of the project entitled ‘Meet legal institutions in the right/legal way’.

In the framework of the signed Cooperation Agreement with the Faculty of Law University of Belgrade the Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes has been running different forms of cooperation and a Cooperation Agreement has also been signed and with the Faculty of Law University of Niš.

The project entitled ‘Meet legal institutions in the right/legal way’ is aimed at enabling students to learn more about professions and lines of work that can be pursued after completion of undergraduate studies and empowering young students for the labor market.

A visit to the Agency gave the students an opportunity to learn about the scope of work and competencies of the Agency, professional challenges faced by the staff as well as benefits associated with amicable resolution of disputes.

The Agency Director, Dr Ivica Lazović, talked to the students about the Agency position in the public administration system, its establishment and competencies, targeted actions and the indicators of accomplishments so far. On the occasion he highlighted all specificities associated with the Agency operations. Also, Dr Lazović introduced the students to advantages of raising and running procedures before the Agency in comparison with court proceedings.

In a presentation by Ms Dragana Andonovska, manager of the Agency Legal Affairs Unit, the students had the opportunity to see some examples from practice i.e. how some individual as well as collective labor disputes were resolved.

In continuation of the visit, the guests participated in a Q&A session.

On September 29, at the invitation of the Social and Economic Council of Stara Pazova Municipality, the Republic Agency for Peaceful Resolution of Labor Disputes presented its operations at the Regional Business Fair, which took place on September 29-30 in Nova Pazova, organized by the municipality of Stara Pazova and the Serbian Chamber of Commerce of the Regional Chamber of Commerce of the Srem administrative district.

The participants, among whom were representatives of trade unions, local governments and companies operating on the territory of these municipalities, had the opportunity to get a deeper insight into the work of the Agency so far, as well as into the course of proceedings before the Agency.

The presentation was opened by the Agency Director, Dr Ivica Lazović, who presented the competences of the Agency to the audience, the deadlines in which the proceedings before the Agency are completed, as well as the statistics of proceedings initiated in the previous period. Dr. Lazović paid special attention to the advantages of the proceedings before the Agency versus court proceedings for all parties in the dispute. Dragana Andonovska, the head of the Agency's legal and technical affairs group, introduced the participants to examples from practice and the ways in which these disputes were resolved.

In continuation of the meeting, the participants had the opportunity to ask questions and participate in the discussion.

Mediated by the Republic Agency for Peaceful Resolution of Labor Disputes, a joint recommendation was signed on how to resolve a collective labor dispute in the "Dijamant" d.o.o. company in Zrenjanin.

The procedure before the Agency was initiated by the Trade Union Organization of the "Dijamant" A.D. regarding the implementation of the collective agreement. The employer, "Dijamant" d.o.o. Zrenjanin, agreed that the procedure should be resolved peacefully before the Agency. Živko Kulić was appointed as the acting mediator. A conciliation committee was set up in accordance with the law and included representatives of the parties to the dispute as well as an acting conciliator. After three sessions, a joint recommendation was adopted recommending the way to resolve the disputed issue.

The Association for Labor Law and Social Insurance held the XXIV expert-scientific conference at the mountain Zlatibor from September 14 to 17, 2022. "Labor Law at the Crossroads" was the underlying topic of the conference. Prof. Dr. Predrag Jovanović, President of the Association and Dr. Ivica Lazović, Director of the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes opened the conference. In his introductory speech, Prof. Jovanović talked about the importance of the Association and its contribution in three areas, in the field of science, publishing, and thirdly through the promotion of networking among specialists in the field of labor law.

In the working part of the conference, Mr. Lazović presented a report on the peaceful settlement of labor disputes in which he introduced the audience to the current practice of peaceful settlement of labor disputes and current indicators for improving the system for the peaceful settlement of labor disputes in the new regulations governing various areas related to labor.

Through the thematic areas, the conference covered the entire subject matter of the labor law and social law, where numerous topics presented can be examined in more detail at the link https://radno-pravo.org/. Speakers, chairpersons, audience, and participants were distinguished experts from the country and abroad, and a large number of participants were also arbitrators and conciliators of the Republic Agency for Peaceful Resolution of Labor Disputes.

At the 113th regular session of the Social and Economic Council of the Republic of Serbia, which was held in Belgrade on Tuesday, September 13, 2022 at 09:00 am, the Information on the Work of the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labour Disputes for 2021 was discussed.

The session was chaired by prof. Darija Kisić, Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, and Ivica Lazović, Director of the Agency, presented the information on the work of the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labour Disputes regarding the records which are being kept, as well as on other matters of importance for the procedures for peaceful settlement of labour disputes for 2021.

The Information on the Work of the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labour Disputes for 2021 provides a detailed overview of activities within its scope which were implemented, as well as the statistical data on the procedures conducted before the Agency in 2021.

You can find the complete Information on the Work of the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labour Disputes for 2021 at the following link: Information on Work

On 12 July 2022, the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes signed an Agreement on peaceful settlement of a collective labor dispute at the Municipality of Lucani, after which the Collective Agreement for employees in the bodies of the Municipality of Lucani was concluded.

The procedure before the Agency was initiated by the employer, the Municipality of Lučani, and the Basic Trade Union Organization of the Municipality of Lučani, the subject of the dispute being the conclusion of a collective agreement with the employer. Milica Radivojević, a lawyer from Ivanjica and a conciliator and arbitrator of the Agency since its inception, served as the acting conciliator.

At the first hearing, the Conciliation Committee was formed, in accordance with the Law. After six sessions, a Recommendation and Agreement on the manner in which to resolve the collective labor dispute was adopted, but a consensus was reached on all the points and contents of the new collective agreement, so that the agreed text was signed by Milivoj Dolović, Mayor of Lučani, and Dragan Jovičić, president of the basic organizations of the trade union of the administrative bodies of Lucani.

The representatives of the local self-government – the Municipality of Lučani and the basic organization of trade unions of administrative bodies – have illustrated how to conduct social dialogue between employees and employers in the proper manner, deciding on the procedure for the peaceful settlement of collective labor disputes, and in accordance with the recommendation of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, i.e., resolving these disputes by institutional mechanisms.

At the final conference entitled "Sharing examples of good practice on methods of peaceful settlement of labor disputes", which was held on 8 July 2022 in Belgrade, in the Palace of Serbia, the results of the project "Joint ventures of social partners to increase visibility of the concept of peaceful resolution of labor disputes" were presented. The project was implemented by the Initiative for Development and Cooperation Association of Citizens in partnership with the Nezavisnost United Branch Trade Union (Independence UBTU), the Union of Employers of Serbia and the Union of Independent Trade Unions of Serbia, with the support of the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes, and with the financial support of the International Olof Palme Center.

The conference was opened by Mirko Janić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs. The Agency Director, Dr Ivica Lazović, presented the results of the previous work to the audience, with reference to the increasing recognition of the Agency among employees, trade unions and employers in cases of labor dispute. Representatives of the Initiative for Development and Cooperation, International Olof Palme Center, Independence UBTU, Union of Independent Trade Unions of Serbia and Union of Employers of Serbia also spoke at the conference.

Owing to the support of the SOLIDAR network within the project Achieving Social Europe for All, which is financed by the European Commission, the participants had the opportunity to learn more about comparative practices through examples of good practice from Italy, Spain and Albania in order to see their application in a social and legislative framework of the Republic of Serbia, all with the aim of strengthening social dialogue and protecting the social and economic rights of citizens.

Republic Agency for the Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes at the invitation of the Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of the City of Subotica and the SEC of Subotica held a round table on July 4 in Subotica on the topic "Peaceful settlement of labor disputes through the Republic Agency for the Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes".

The meeting was attended by trade union representatives of leading companies from the real sector that operate on the territory of the City of Subotica and employees in the public sector, while the local government was represented by the member of the City Council in charge of the economy, Srđan Samardžić.

The round table was opened by Ištvan Huđi, the president of the CAT of the City of Subotica and the chairman of the SEC of Subotica. The Director of the Agency, Dr. Ivica Lazović, presented the work of the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes and pointed out the advantages of proceeding a dispute before the Agency compared to a court case. Dragana Andonovska, a senior adviser at the Agency, introduced those present with examples from the practice of peaceful settlement of labor disputes. Also, the participants had the opportunity to watch the "Course on Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes".

Afterwards, the attendees could present their experiences, ask questions and participate in the discussion.

On July 1, the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes adopted the Action Plan for the introduction of Quality Management through the Common Assessment Framework (CAF).

The action plan is the result of a six-month process of CAF training, which was carried out by consultants of the EU project entitled "Support to Public Administration Reforms within the Sectoral Reform Agreement for Public Administration Reform Sector". This plan defines the activities that the Agency will implement in the coming period with the aim of increasing the quality of providing services to end users.

The introduction of quality management is based on the "Agreement on the implementation of the CAF quality management model" signed on 28 January 2022 by Marija Obradović, Minister of State Administration and Local Self-Government and Dr Ivica Lazović, Agency Director.

With the implementation of the CAF quality management model, the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes ranks among the leaders in the Republic of Serbia among the institutions that have opted for the introduction of this model in public administration applied in more than 50 countries, including all EU member states.

You can find more about CAF at the following link https://caf.mduls.gov.rs/

The Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes presented its work at the invitation of the Trade Union of Nurses and Technicians of Serbia (SMSTS) at a meeting organized by this union in Kladovo from 6-8 June. On behalf of the Agency, the Agency Director, Dr. Ivica Lazović presented the Agency. He was accompanied with Prof. Dr. Bojan Urdarević and Danijela Koštan Kovačević, the Agency arbitrators and conciliators, who took part, as well.

At the gathering, trade union representatives of nurses and technicians were able to learn firsthand about the work of the Agency so far and the benefits provided by the peaceful settlement of labor disputes.

In addition to representatives of the Agency, Radica Ilić, president of the trade union, and Slađana Đukić, assistant to the Minister of Health from the Health Insurance Sector, also spoke at the meeting.

Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes developed an Action Plan for the introduction of Quality Management through the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) model.

The action plan defines the activities that should be improved and the steps that should be taken in order to improve the activities, all with the aim of raising the level of quality of the services provided, which leads to an increase in the satisfaction of end users.

The introduction of quality management is based on the "Agreement on the implementation of the CAF quality management model" signed on 28 January 2022 by Marija Obradović, Minister of State Administration and Local Self-Government and Dr Ivica Lazović, Agency Director. On the basis of this agreement, in the process of implementing the CAF quality management model, the Agency will be provided with professional and technical support by the MDULS Support The team and consultants of the EU project entitled "Support to Public Administration Reforms within the Sectoral Reform Agreement for Public Administration Reform Sector".

The main goal for the introduction of quality management is to strive for continuous increase of efficiency, effectiveness and economy of work processes, constant monitoring, evaluation and improvement of service quality, management and dynamics of the Agency operations. With the implementation of the CAF quality management model, the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes ranks among the leaders in the Republic of Serbia among the institutions that have opted for the introduction of this model in public administration applied in more than 50 countries, including all EU member states.

As a part of the project entitled “Joint efforts of social partners to increase the visibility of the concept of peaceful settlement of labor disputes”, the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes held a workshop in Novi Pazar on May 31. This is the fourth workshop this year, which is being realized through a project funded by the "Olof Palme" International Center and implemented by the Development and Cooperation Initiative (IRS) in partnership with the “Nezavisnost” ABTU, Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Serbia and the Union of Employers of Serbia, with the support of the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes.

The participants of the workshop were welcomed by Fevzija Murić, a member of the city council. As in previous workshops, IRS representative Milena Šošić, Agency director Ivica Lazović and social partners were presented the project to the participants. The present audience had the opportunity to get insight into the Course on Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes and to get acquainted with the benefits of using this concept and the practice of the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes.

The simulation of the procedure of peaceful settlement of labor dispute to the attending union representatives and employers was presented by the Agency conciliators and arbitrators, Prof. Dr. Živko Kulić and Danijela Koštan Kovačević. The local conciliators and arbitrators of the Agency, Denis Murić and Emil Turković, also participated in the workshop.

On May 30, the International Labor Organization held online training for conciliators and arbitrators from the region. The training was carried out within the framework of the Employment and Social Affairs Platform 2 (ESAP 2) project, on the topic "Improving the effectiveness of mediation in resolving labor disputes".

The training was attended by conciliators and arbitrators from Serbia, as well as representatives of agencies for the peaceful resolution of labor disputes from the Republic of Srpska (BiH) and Montenegro.

Тhe training and workshop was led by Malcolm Curie, an experienced ILO mediator and trainer. Conciliators and arbitrators had the opportunity to improve their skills in resolving individual and collective labor disputes through interactive workshops and exercises, as well as to exchange practical experiences with colleagues from different agencies.

The Employment and Social Affairs Platform (ESAP) 2 is a project funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Labor Organization. It aims to improve the institutional effectiveness of the labor dispute resolution mechanism. Also, the goal is to exchange experiences and learn from colleagues from different agencies for peaceful settlement of labor disputes in the Western Balkans.