Aunties and janitors, as well as other employees in education who receive the
minimum wage, have been fighting for years to prove their right to compensationfor the costs of a hot meal and holiday allowance. For those who tried to fightfor the payment of earned benefits with the help of institutions, the latestjudgment of the Supreme Court of Cassation proved once again that, in thestruggle for better working conditions, the state is never on our side but alwaysworks against us. This applies even when we are actually fighting again for whathas already been officially won and which the laws of the same country alreadyprescribe as a mandatory minimum. ---- The goal of the multi-year struggle ofaunts, janitors and other support staff in schools is to prove that their bossesare manipulating the interpretations of the law in order to find a way forschools - that is, the state through the competent ministry - to pay workers evenless money. And this time, the target was those who already work in disastrousconditions and whose salary does not even reach the minimum wage, but the statebrings them up to the minimum wage guaranteed by law.In 2020, the Supreme Court of Cassation confirmed that no supplement can beincluded in the minimum wage, which prompted a large number of workers to filelawsuits. However, recently the same court issued a verdict claiming that the hotmeal and holiday allowance are already included in the minimum wage. Why is itthat two years later the Court completely reverses its approach and tramples onits own decision? The motivation is clear - to reduce state costs, as always atthe expense of working women, and the legal system is there to facilitate andjustify that process.As it is a decision of the Supreme Court, in the future all lower courts willhave to be guided by it in lawsuits related to the payment of the mentionedbenefits. Moreover, this ruling has a direct impact on public service employeeswho work for the minimum wage. According to estimates, there are about 450,000people employed at the minimum wage in pre-school, health, cultural institutions,social protection institutions, the Republic Fund for Health Insurance, theRepublic Fund for Pension and Disability Insurance, etc. Also, nothing guaranteesthat the Court will not, based on this principle, decide that the minimum wageactually already includes additional compensation for overtime work, work onholidays, transportation costs and all additional money that the employer isobliged to pay to employees.The aforementioned verdict not only destroys the chances of all those who plannedto collect their debts from the schools through court cases, but also means thatall those who have already filed lawsuits will lose the case - they will have topay court costs themselves. Therefore, the court first made a decision by whichit led the workers to file lawsuits, convinced that the law was on their side,and then made a new decision based on which it turns out that not only will theynot get their money, but they are forced into new expenses (according toestimates, between 800 and 1000 euros). Furthermore, it may even happen that thecases of those who have already won the disputes and to whom the money hasalready been paid will reach the Court for review and the injured workers willhave to return the money they received - and many have probably already spent alot because they receive a salary which is not enough to cover even basic needsduring the previous two years of constant price increases.We have once again become convinced that the legal system - even when it seemsthat it is - is not at the level of the workers. In this case, it not only servedto waste the time and energy of those who wanted to fight, but it will also serveas a means of retaliation for that fight. That's why it's time to turn to theonly way we can win, which is joint direct action! When the worker is alone in acourt case against an incomparably stronger enemy, he can pay for his rebellion.But when we unite and organize, especially when thousands of people are facingthe same problem, the power is on our side. At the beginning of June, severalhundred aunts, waitresses and technical staff on the minimum wage protested inBelgrade. After this decision of the Court, directed directly against workers, itis time for further resistance!The anarcho-syndicalist initiative ASI expresses its full support for aunts,janitors and all other workers who are threatened by this decision and calls fororganizing to achieve a common goal. It is not too late for this fight, but wecan win it only with joint forces!https://www.facebook.com/borbenisindikat/https://issuu.com/direktna.akcija/docs/br._14_-_nova_serija_-_direktna_akcija_jul-avgust_________________________________________A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C EBy, For, and About AnarchistsSend news reports to A-infos-en mailing listA-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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