The collective labor dispute at the employer “MTU Maintenance Serbia d.o.o.” from Nova Pazova was successfully resolved through the Republic Agency for the Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes. The procedure was initiated at the proposal of the United Branch Trade Unions “Nezavisnost” (UGS “Nezavisnost”), following several months of negotiations between the employer and the trade union that had not resulted in mutually acceptable outcomes. After the Agency became involved, three hearings were held with representatives of the parties to the dispute, after which the acting conciliator, Assistant Professor Dr. Aleksandar Antić, issued a Recommendation aimed at overcoming the disputed issues and establishing more stable labor relations.

Although the Recommendation was not adopted by a Conciliation Committee but by the acting conciliator, the employer “MTU Maintenance Serbia d.o.o.” accepted the conciliator’s suggestions and amended the provisions of its Rulebook on Employment. In doing so, the employer demonstrated readiness for further dialogue and a constructive approach to finding sustainable and mutually acceptable solutions.

This procedure once again confirmed that mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of labor disputes represent an effective and reliable way to strengthen social dialogue and stable relations between employers and employees, both in the public and private sectors.

Selected Conciliators and Arbitrators

Following the public call for the selection of conciliators and arbitrators published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, No. 101/2025 of 14 November 2025, for which the deadline for submitting applications expired on 22 November, a total of 65 timely applications were received.

The Selection Commission for Conciliators and Arbitrators, established upon the proposal of the Socio-Economic Council of the Republic of Serbia and composed of representatives of representative trade unions – the Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia and the United Branch Trade Unions “Nezavisnost”, the Union of Employers of Serbia, and representatives of the Government of the Republic of Serbia – was tasked with adopting a decision and selecting conciliators and arbitrators.

By decision of the Commission, the following candidates were selected:

Selected Candidates for Conciliators:

1. Aleksandra Stošić
2. Bojan Marjanov
3. Bojan Urdarević
4. Vesna Stojanović
5. Vesna Mitrić
6. Vladimir Matić
7. Gabriela Kotur-Dijakov
8. Goran Arsić
9. Goran Kljajić
10. Goran Markov
11. Goran Obradović
12. Danijela Koštan Kovačević
13. Danka Jaćimović
14. Darko Božičić
15. Dejan Logarušić
16. Dejana Spasojević Ivančić
17. Dragana Miletić
18. Dragana Pešić
19. Duško Vuković
20. Emil Turković
21. Emila Spasojević
22. Živko Kulić
23. Zoran Radulović
24. Zorica Radović
25. Ivana Lalović
26. Igor Kokanović
27. Jasmina Čuturilo
28. Jasna Vesić
29. Jelena Gluščević
30. Jelena Stojiljković
31. Jelena Čanović Spasojević
32. Katarina Nikolić
33. Kristina Spasojčević
34. Marija Dragićević Đorđević
35. Mila Petrović
36. Milan Krstić
37. Milena Tasić
38. Milica Brković
39. Milica Radivojević
40. Milun Petković
41. Miljko Valjarević
42. Mina Nikolić
43. Mirjana Tubin
44. Nataša Zavoda
45. Nikola Banjac
46. Olga Vučković Kićanović
47. Olga Marinkov Bajić
48. Predrag Petrović
49. Radica Rakić Popović
50. Radmila Simović
51. Radovan Bezbradica
52. Sanja Stanišić
53. Sanja Škorić
54. Senad Jašarević
55. Slađana Andrić
56. Slađana Gligorić
57. Slađana Đukić
58. Stanislav Veljković
59. Tamara Aleksić

Selected Candidates for Arbitrators:

1. Aleksandra Stošić
2. Bojan Marjanov
3. Bojan Urdarević
4. Vesna Stojanović
5. Vesna Mitrić
6. Vladimir Matić
7. Gabriela Kotur-Dijakov
8. Goran Arsić
9. Goran Kljajić
10. Goran Markov
11. Goran Obradović
12. Danijela Koštan Kovačević
13. Danka Jaćimović
14. Dejana Spasojević Ivančić
15. Dragana Miletić
16. Dragana Pešić
17. Emil Turković
18. Živko Kulić
19. Zoran Radulović
20. Zorica Radović
21. Ivana Lalović
22. Igor Kokanović
23. Jasmina Čuturilo
24. Jasna Vesić
25. Jelena Gluščević
26. Jelena Stojiljković
27. Katarina Nikolić
28. Kristina Spasojčević
29. Marija Dragićević Đorđević
30. Milan Krstić
31. Milena Tasić
32. Milica Brković
33. Milica Radivojević
34. Milun Petković
35. Miljko Valjarević
36. Nataša Zavoda
37. Nikola Banjac
38. Olga Vučković Kićanović
39. Predrag Petrović
40. Radica Rakić Popović
41. Radovan Bezbradica
42. Sanja Stanišić
43. Senad Jašarević
44. Slađana Andrić
45. Slađana Đukić
46. Stanislav Veljković
47. Tamara Aleksić

On this occasion, the Republic Agency for the Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes expresses its gratitude to all candidates for their interest and for applying to the public call for the selection of conciliators and arbitrators. Based on the decision of the Commission, the Republic Agency for the Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes will adopt a Decision on the entry of the selected candidates into the Register of Conciliators and Arbitrators, which will be published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia in due course.

Organized by the Republic Agency for the Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes, the second training session for conciliators and arbitrators in the anniversary year marking 20 years of the Agency’s work was held on 12 December 2025 at the premises of the National Academy for Public Administration. The event was dedicated to the further improvement of the practice of the peaceful settlement of labor disputes, as well as to examining the psychological aspects of communication and working with challenging counterparts. For the first time, the training was also attended by representatives of agencies and bodies for the peaceful settlement of labor disputes from the region, namely Montenegro, North Macedonia, and the Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

The event brought together numerous experts in the fields of labor law and psychology, who, through lectures and discussions, addressed contemporary challenges in procedures for the peaceful settlement of labor disputes, with particular emphasis on building trust, managing resistance, and encouraging constructive dialogue.

As part of the formal opening ceremony, recognition awards were presented to distinguished conciliators and arbitrators with many years of experience, in acknowledgment of their continuous contribution to the development of the system of the peaceful settlement of labor disputes and the improvement of labor relations.

Recognition awards were presented to the following conciliators and arbitrators: Slađana Andrić, Radovan Bezbradica, Miljko Valjarević, Draško Veličković, Slađana Gligorić, Srđan Dobrica, Ružica Erceg, Nataša Zavođa, Dejana Spasojević Ivančić, Danka Jaćimović, Senad Jašarević, Predrag Jovanović, Igor Kokanović, Vera Kondić, Danijela Koštan Kovačević, Žarko Kovačević, Vladan Kovačević, Živko Kulić, Ankica Kurjački, Jasna Lazović, Vladimir Matić, Dragana Miletić, Katarina Nikolić, Goran Obradović, Milun Petković, Predrag Petrović, Milica Radivojević, Zorica Radović, Zoran Radulović, Danilo Rončević, Radmila Simović, Vesna Stojanović, Jelena Stojiljković, Predrag Trifunović, Bojan Urdarević, Verica Hrnčjar, Nada Crnja, Maja Čudomirović, and Aleksandra Ćalić Bošković.

Following the formal part of the event, a panel discussion was held. The first panel focused on current case law in the field of labor disputes, with the participation of judges from the Constitutional Court, appellate courts, and the High Court in Belgrade. The second panel was dedicated to the topic “The Challenge of Resistance: The Psychology of Relationships and the Possibility of Dialogue,” during which participants discussed psychological mechanisms influencing communication and conflict in labor relations, as well as practical techniques and tools for overcoming these challenges in practice.

At the Public Utility Company “Gradsko stambeno” Belgrade, following a request submitted by the company’s trade union organization, a collective labor dispute concerning amendments and supplements to the collective agreement was successfully concluded. Given that “Gradsko stambeno” performs activities of general interest, the Agency initiated the procedure ex officio, in accordance with the law, with the aim of enabling dialogue between the parties. Miljko Valjarević was appointed as the acting conciliator.

At the first hearing, a Conciliation Committee was established, composed of representatives of both parties to the dispute and the acting conciliator. Through discussions and the exchange of views, with the support of the conciliator, conditions were created for the continuation of social dialogue.

At its fourth hearing, the Conciliation Committee adopted a recommendation that the parties initiate negotiations on amendments and supplements to the collective agreement, with the aim of finding a joint and sustainable solution.

This procedure once again confirmed that mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of labor disputes contribute to the preservation of industrial peace and the stable functioning of public services of importance to citizens.

The Republic Agency for the Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes once again this year hosted the traditional visit of final-year students of the Faculty of Law of the University of Belgrade, who attend the Labor Law course. The visit took place on 10 December 2025 at the Serbian–Korean Information and Access Center (SKIP Center), within the framework of the Cooperation Agreement between the Agency and the Faculty of Law. The students were accompanied by Teaching Assistant Mina Kuzminac.

The event was opened by the Director of the Agency, Dr. Ivica Lazović, who emphasized the importance of the long-standing cooperation with the Faculty of Law, as well as the role of the Agency in bringing the institute of the peaceful settlement of labor disputes closer to future legal professionals. He underlined that the Agency is open to students who wish to become directly acquainted with the work of this institution through professional and scientific papers, as well as through internships. On that occasion, he presented the development of the institute of the peaceful settlement of labor disputes in the Republic of Serbia, its place in contemporary legal systems, and the key results achieved by the Agency so far, with an overview of challenges and plans for the future.

In the continuation of the program, Dragana Andonovska, Head of the Group for Legal and Professional Affairs, and Jelena Golubović, Advisor at the Agency, spoke about the Agency’s competences, fundamental principles and procedures, as well as statistical indicators and examples from its extensive practice. Special emphasis was placed on digitalization and digital transformation processes as an important step toward more efficient, accessible, and transparent resolution of labor disputes. Through concrete examples, it was demonstrated that even the most complex labor disputes can be successfully resolved through conciliation, provided there is willingness on the part of the parties to engage in dialogue and compromise.

The visit concluded with an open and interactive discussion with the students, who actively participated, asked questions, and shared their observations and views on the application of alternative methods for resolving labor disputes in the Republic of Serbia. This exchange of opinions once again confirmed the importance of linking theoretical knowledge with practical experience in the education of future legal professionals.

The delegation of the Republic Agency for the Peaceful Settlement of Labour Disputes paid a study visit to the Swedish National Mediation Office in Stockholm on 4 December 2025. The visit was organised with the aim of becoming acquainted with the Swedish model of work, exchanging experiences, and highlighting good practices that may contribute to the further development of the Agency’s capacities, as well as to the improvement of the system of peaceful settlement of labour disputes in the Republic of Serbia. During the visit, the Director of the Agency, Dr Ivica Lazović, presented a Certificate of Appreciation to the Swedish National Mediation Office as a token of recognition for the successful cooperation to date and for its support in the development of the practice of peaceful labour dispute resolution.

The Swedish National Mediation Office was selected as a partner due to its unique and highly successful experience in the field of labour dispute prevention, conciliation, collective bargaining, as well as its well-established model of tripartism and a high level of coordination among social partners.

The visit began with a meeting with the Director General of the Institute, Ms Irene Wennemo, and Legal Adviser Sofie Malmkvist, who presented the organisation, competencies, and key elements of the Swedish labour market model. The introductory session focused on the functioning of the labour dispute prevention system and conciliation mechanisms in cases where disputes arise, the importance of mediator independence, and the role of the Institute in maintaining stable industrial relations throughout the country.

The programme continued with a presentation by Mr Per Ewaldsson, Senior Legal Adviser, who provided a detailed overview of the legal framework for the peaceful settlement of labour disputes in Sweden. The discussion covered fundamental principles, the competencies of conciliators, and response mechanisms in cases of collective disputes, with reference to similarities and differences in comparison with the Serbian legal system.

Following the presentation of the legal framework, a session dedicated to practical examples was held, led by Ms Gunilla Runnquist, a conciliator with extensive professional experience, and Mr Per Ewaldsson. The delegation had the opportunity to become familiar with concrete procedures, the working methodology of Swedish conciliators, the challenges they face, communication techniques used in working with the parties to a dispute, and the tools applied in everyday practice.

Particular attention was drawn to the presentation on wage statistics, delivered by Mr John Ekberg, Director of Official Wage and Salary Statistics at the Institute, together with Statistician Mr Peter Beijron and Economist Mr Simon Thorstensson. The presentation covered existing statistical data, data collection and processing procedures, and the application of this information in collective bargaining processes, which is of particular importance when considering the enhancement of the Agency’s analytical capacities.

In the afternoon, a highly significant session was held on labour market organisation and collective agreements, which provided concrete guidance for possible improvements in the work of the Agency. Special emphasis was placed on the manner in which the Swedish National Mediation Office maintains comprehensive records of all collective agreements in the country, a practice that has proven to be a key instrument in supporting stable social dialogue and effective collective bargaining. Ms Anna Fransson, Senior Economist, together with Mr Thomas Ljunglöf and Ms Sofie Malmkvist, presented the role of the Institute in analysing collective agreements, mechanisms for monitoring collective agreements, and models that may serve as valuable reference points for strengthening institutional capacities in Serbia.

Members of the delegation included the Director of the Agency, Dr Ivica Lazović, who introduced the hosts to the Agency’s practice and organisational structure, Dragana Andonovska, Head of the Legal Affairs Unit, and Agency advisers Miloš Prokić and Jelena Golubović.

This study visit represents an important step in strengthening cooperation with Swedish institutions and provides a solid foundation for further enhancing the capacities of the Republic Agency for the Peaceful Settlement of Labour Disputes. The experiences gained and practices exchanged will be of great importance for the continued development of labour dispute prevention systems, conciliation processes, and the promotion of a culture of social dialogue in the Republic of Serbia.