Serbian Judiciary Strikes Over Government Marginalization and Poor Conditions

The Syndicate of the Judiciary's Authority in Serbia is sounding the alarm over the government's alleged intentional marginalization of the judicial system. According to Zorana Ilić, a member of the syndicate's main board, judicial employees are suffering from unfair treatment, with their salaries falling below even the minimum wage and significantly below the national average. This, she argues, is a deliberate strategy by the executive branch to weaken the judiciary, thereby enabling it to pursue its own objectives more easily.

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Unfortunately, there is still no understanding from the other side, and employees in the judiciary are on the margins when we talk about salaries and workers' rights; their salaries do not even reach the minimum wages, they are far below the republican average, they have far fewer rights than guaranteed by the collective agreement.

The syndicate's warning strike, a protest against recent changes to the Special Collective Agreement for state bodies, highlights a deep-seated dissatisfaction within the judicial sector. Ilić expressed frustration with the Ministry of Justice, stating that it has shown no willingness to negotiate a complete collective agreement that would provide enhanced rights for employees. She lamented that each new agreement seems to offer fewer benefits than the last, a trend that has continued with the latest changes.

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The Syndicate has decided to raise its voice every time there is legal disenfranchisement. The reason for today's warning strike is that the Ministry of Justice has no intention of concluding a complete Collective Agreement that provides higher rights for employees; every subsequent collective agreement that applies to judicial bodies is worse than the previous one, which is the case this time as well, considering all the changes that have occurred.

While the strike action is visible, many judicial employees are showing their support silently. Ilić noted that even those not formally part of the union share the same grievances but are hesitant to speak out publicly due to personal reasons. She also pointed to a perceived lack of transparency and assertiveness in other unions, suggesting they readily accept the Ministry's proposals, unlike the Syndicate of the Judiciary's Authority, which vows to challenge any further "legal disenfranchisement."

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The vast majority of us quietly support it for our personal reasons.

This situation, Ilić believes, is part of a broader pattern of political pressure, reminiscent of past legislative actions, aimed at undermining the judiciary. By failing to ensure basic dignity and fair working conditions for judicial employees, the state, she contends, is signaling its disregard for a fundamental pillar of governance. From Serbia's perspective, this struggle is not just about wages and rights; it's about the integrity and independence of the justice system itself, a core concern for national stability and the rule of law.

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It seems to me that they are flattering the ministry and agreeing to everything the ministry proposes.