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Serbia: Stop Union Repression in the Armed Forces

In partnership with Military Trade Union “Iron Regiment” / Vojni Sindikat „Gvozdeni puk“ founded in 2018. This union is an independent and non-partisan organization of employees in the Serbian Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces, affiliated since 2023 with the Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia, representing its members through democratic representation, collective advocacy, and social dialogue.

 
 
Trade union representatives within the Serbian Armed Forces are facing an escalating campaign of repression, intimidation, and retaliation for exercising their fundamental right to organize. Leaders of the Military Trade Union “Iron Regiment,” including President Ljubiša Milošević and General Secretary Dragan Simonović, have been subjected to disciplinary proceedings, transfers, demotions, surveillance, and arrest following their efforts to defend workers’ rights and report irregularities within the Ministry of Defence. Union members have been pressured to resign under threats of stalled careers, blocked promotions, denied missions, and negative security clearances. Offices have been searched, union property seized, and public smear campaigns conducted in military units. These actions represent a grave violation of freedom of association, Serbian constitutional guarantees, and international labour standards. We call on the Government of Serbia and the Ministry of Defence to immediately halt all proceedings against union representatives, reinstate them to their previous positions, cease all forms of intimidation, and guarantee full trade union freedoms and genuine social dialogue within the armed forces.

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Type in your message here - or just use the existing message. I call on the Government of Serbia and the Ministry of Defence to immediately stop all proceedings and disciplinary actions against trade union representatives in the Serbian Armed Forces, to reinstate union leaders Ljubiša Milošević and Dragan Simonović to their previous positions, and to end all forms of pressure and retaliation against union members. The Ministry must publicly guarantee that membership in a trade union will not lead to sanctions, halt any interference in union activities, and engage in genuine social dialogue in line with constitutional protections and international labour standards. Enter the number 5811 here: Thank you Would you like to receive future urgent action alerts from us? Yes : No : LabourStart takes your privacy very seriously. Read our privacy statement here. Your message will be sent to the following email addresses: militaryunionironregimentrs@gmail.com, brziodgovor@mod.gov.rs, ministar.odbrane@mod.gov.rs, kabinetmo@mod.gov.rs, nsrs@parlament.rs, mediji@predsednik.rs, vojska.srbije@vs.rs