On April 24, 2023 upon the initiative of the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes, a meeting was held with representatives of organizations dealing in mediation in the Republic of Serbia. The goal of this meeting was to get to know each other better and share experiences, establish a dialogue on good practices and barriers encountered by both the Agency and the aforementioned organizations.

In addition to representatives of the Agency, the meeting was attended by representatives of UG Mediators of Kruševac, the Institute for Mediation, Negotiation and Public Policy, as well as the Chamber of Mediators of Serbia.

Many topics were raised at the meeting, which primarily relate to the recognition of the importance of alternative resolution of labor disputes and the advantages that this concept brings about. Further directions of cooperation and intensification of relations through mutual participation in trainings and forums were agreed upon. The conclusion is that there is plenty of room for joint action in the coming period and that this is only the first in a series of workshops of this type.

The employees and the management of JPKP "Lazarevac" addressed the Republic Agency for Peaceful Resolution of Labor Disputes with a joint proposal for the peaceful resolution of labor disputes, regarding the payment of the minimum wage. With this joint decision, the employees and the management acted in accordance with the recommendation of the Government of the Republic of Serbia that beneficiaries of public funds resolve labor disputes peacefully in order to reduce the proceedings costs.

So far, 460 individual proceedings have been initiated before the Agency, with a joint Proposal for the initiation of proceedings, out of which 250 have already been concluded. Representatives of employees and employers have also reported that this number is not final and that new Proposals are expected in the oncoming period.

This is yet another example of good practice to resolve individual labor disputes amicably rather than through court proceedings. In this way, unnecessary court and other costs will be avoided for both the employees and the employer, and the employees will reach arbitration decisions within 30 days, which have the same legal force as the final court verdicts.

The Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes held the first interactive training for conciliators and arbitrators in 2023. The training took place on April 7, 2023 in the "Serbia" Palace before the audience of a large number of conciliators and arbitrators.

Representatives of the International Labor Organization from Geneva, Kristina Miheš, who is the Head of the Department for Labor Law and Reforms, and Valeri Van Goethem, a specialist in labor law, as well as Dr. Jovan Protic, representative of the International Labor Organization in Serbia, were the special guests at the opening of the training. They introduced the participants to the activities of the ILO in the field of peaceful resolution of labor disputes and the new methodology of the ILO for providing technical assistance in the prevention and settlement of labor disputes.

All attending conciliators and arbitrators were introduced to the current judicial practice in the field of labor disputes by the judge of the Constitutional Court of Serbia, Lidija Đukić, and the judge of the Appellate Court in Novi Sad, Vesna Dušić.

The second part of the training in the afternoon, led by Olga Vučković Kićanović, was dedicated to acquiring specialized knowledge for resolving disputes related to abuse at work.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) has begun the development of a methodology for providing technical assistance in the prevention and resolution of labor disputes in order to improve access to labor justice for its members. On April 5 and 6, 2023, a workshop for the application of the new self-assessment methodology was held in Belgrade.

The workshop was ran by Kristina Miheš, Head of the Department for Labor Law and Reforms, and Valerie Van Goethem, Labor Law Specialist of the International Labor Organization. The workshop was attended by representatives of the Union of Employers of Serbia, representative trade unions - the Union of Independent Trade Unions and UGS "Nezavisnost" (United Branch Trade Unions), conciliators and arbitrators, external experts and most of the Agency employees.

One of the main goals of the workshop was to use the ILO-developed diagnostic tool for self-assessment of non-judicial institutions for the prevention and resolution of disputes. This diagnostic tool is expected to help the state and social partners in assessing and understanding the current situation, identify potential opportunities and challenges, as well as devise measures to solve them with joint efforts. Also, this diagnostic tool will help the ILO to more effectively adjust and direct its technical assistance in accordance with the needs identified by the national tripartite constituents.

The three-day annual regional conference of the Network of Agencies for the Peaceful Resolution of Labor Disputes was held in Budva, Montenegro, from March 28 to 30, 2023. The conference was attended by directors of agencies and other bodies for the peaceful settlement of labor disputes and conciliators and arbitrators from Montenegro, Romania, Bulgaria, the Republic of North Macedonia, Albania, Republic of Srpska (BiH), Greece, Spain, Hungary and the Republic of Serbia.

More than 30 participants from the countries of the Western Balkans gathered at the regional conference with a focus on the topic of improving institutions for the peaceful resolution of labor disputes through a comparison of achieved performances and systems applied in conducting of the procedures.

Dr. Ivica Lazović, the Director of the Republic Agency for the Peaceful Resolution of Labor Disputes of the Republic of Serbia, was one of the opening panelists who spoke about the ASLD application that was developed through the ESAP 2 project in order to collect key information on indicators important for the observation and understanding of the concept of peaceful resolution of labor disputes in the area of Western Balkans. He pointed out that, from the Agency's point of view, the value of this application was reflected in the ability to use it to see our position in relation to other institutions from in the neighborhood that deal with the peaceful resolution of labor disputes, to compare the values of the indicators and to take possible corrective measures through further cooperation and consultative actions in the work processes.

On the second day of the conference, the participants were introduced to the practice of peaceful settlement of labor disputes in Greece by Prof. Dr. Kostas Papadimitriou from the Faculty of Law in Athens and OMED President from the Hellenic Organization for Mediation and Arbitration. Also, Diego Ribera from Spain talked about the experience of the Spanish Foundation for Inter-Confederation Mediation and Arbitration.

The entire event was organized as part of the Employment and Social Affairs Platform 2 ESAP 2 project, which is a regional project funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the Regional Cooperation Council. Through the ESAP 2 project, the International Labor Organization team, among other things, provides support to the countries of the Western Balkans in the improvement and development of the concept for the peaceful resolution of labor disputes.

With the mediation of the Republic Agency for the Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes, a joint Recommendation on the peaceful settlement of a collective labor dispute regarding the implementation of the collective agreement for employees of the Preschool "Lane" from Doljevac was signed.

The dispute was initiated by the trade union GSPRS "Nezavisnost" of the PU "Lane" from Doljevac, and the Municipality of Doljevac, as the founder, agreed to resolve the dispute peacefully before the Agency.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marija Dragićević was appointed as the acting mediator. Following provisions of the law, she set up the Conciliation Committee at the first hearing including representatives of all parties to the dispute. After three hearings, positions of the representatives of the parties to the dispute on how to resolve the disputed issues were agreed upon. The members of the Conciliation Committee agreed on the final text of the Recommendation, and in accordance with the law, adopted it by a unanimous vote.

In this way, in the Doljevac PU "Lane", representatives of the founders and trade unions gave yet another example of how to successfully conduct social dialogue, deciding to pursue the procedure for the peaceful settlement of a collective labor dispute in accordance with the recommendation of the Government of the Republic of Serbia that labor disputes should be resolved through institutional mechanisms.

On March 6, 2023, through the Republic Agency for Peaceful Resolution of Labor Disputes, a joint Recommendation was signed on the way to resolve a collective labor dispute regarding the application of the Special Collective Agreement for employees in primary and secondary schools and student dormitories.

The procedure before the Agency was initiated by the Independent Union of Vojvodina Educational Professionals, and the other party in the dispute, the Ministry of Education, agreed that the case should be resolved peacefully.

At the first hearing, the acting conciliator, in accordance with the law, set up the Conciliation Committee which included representatives of the parties to the dispute and the acting conciliator. After two hearings, the representatives of the parties to the dispute agreed on the way to resolve all disputed issues. The members of the Conciliation Committee agreed on the final text of the Recommendation, and, in accordance with the law, voted for it unanimously.

Representatives of social partners, trade unions and the ministry contributed to the peaceful resolution of labor disputes and demonstrated the benefits of social dialogue between employees and employers, deciding on the procedure for the peaceful resolution of collective labor disputes, and in accordance with the recommendation of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, that these disputes should be resolved through institutional mechanisms.

On Wednesday, March 15, 2023, the Cooperation Agreement was signed between the University of Priština Faculty of Law temporarily seated in Kosovska Mitrovica and the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes. On the occasion, an exceptionally well-attended forum "Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes" was held where, in addition to students, numerous teaching staff from the University of Priština temporarily seated in Kosovska Mitrovica attended.

The agreement was signed by the Dean of the Faculty of Law in Kosovska Mitrovica, Prof. Dr. Slobodanka Kovačević Perić and Director of the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes, Dr. Ivica Lazović.

The Agency Director, Dr. Ivica Lazović, thanked Prof. Dr. Slobodanka Kovačević Perić for her contribution to the promotion of the concept of peaceful settlement of labor disputes and on that occasion presented her with the Plaque of the Agency for exceptional long-term cooperation, under the extraordinary conditions under which this Faculty operates.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Priština temporarily seated in Kosovska Mitrovica Prof. Dr. Vladimir Boranijašević and his associates organized a reception for the Agency Director, where they presented the situation and complex circumstances under which they operate at a commendable level. The importance of cross-institutional cooperation with various state bodies was also discussed in order to provide students with opportunities to gain practice and develop professionally. Further cooperation is planned in this direction,

Mr. Lazović also pointed out his pride in the fact that the legal mechanism for the peaceful settlement of labor disputes has also become operational in Kosovo and Metohija. Since its establishment until recently, the Agency did not have any conciliators and arbitrators in the areas of Kosovo and Metohija, and not a single procedure for the peaceful settlement of labor disputes was conducted. With some effort, in just two years that has been changed, and the Agency now has conciliators and arbitrators in Kosovo and Metohija, and the initial procedures for peaceful settlement of individual and collective labor disputes have been conducted. Cooperation with the University is important for all of the above.

The goal of the signed Agreement is to establish cooperation between the signatories, which will contribute to the development and improvement of the capacities of the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes and the Faculty of Law in Kosovska Mitrovica. By signing the agreement, opportunities have been created for additional training and professional practice for students of this Faculty, as well as conciliators and arbitrators of the Agency, and promotion of the concept of peaceful settlement of individual and collective labor disputes among students, as well as for the exchange of information and experiences, participation in the implementation of projects, organizing seminars and gatherings, and the development of publishing activities in areas of mutual interest.

The collective labor dispute at the General Hospital in Ćuprija regarding the collective agreement application with the employer was resolved amicably with the help of the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes.

This procedure was initiated after the proposal for the initiation of a procedure for the peaceful settlement of a collective labor dispute by the "Sloga" United Trade Unions of Serbia - the health and social care union, and the employer, i.e. the General Hospital in Ćuprija also agreed that the procedure should be resolved peacefully before the Agency.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aleksandar Antić was appointed the acting conciliator. At the first hearing, he set up the Conciliation Committee which included representatives of the parties to the dispute and the acting conciliator. After three hearings, a joint recommendation was agreed on recommending the way to resolve the disputed issue. All parties to the proceedings unanimously adopted the proposed Recommendation. According to the law, if the subject of the dispute is a collective agreement, the recommendation becomes the basis for concluding, amending and/or supplementing the collective agreement.

In this way, in the General Hospital in Ćuprija, the representatives of the employer and the trade union gave another example of how social dialogue could be successfully conducted, deciding on the procedure for the peaceful settlement of a collective labor dispute in accordance with the instructions of the Government of the Republic of Serbia that labor disputes be resolved through institutional mechanisms.

As part of the project entitled "Open Doors of the Judiciary" at the Basic Court in Čačak on Thursday, March 2, 2023, a presentation on the peaceful settlement of labor disputes was organized for the interested public in this city. Blažo Nedić, a lawyer and mediator, was the moderator of the meeting and the panelists were Judge Ivan Drobnjak from the Basic Court in Čačak and Ivica Lazović, the Agency Director.

The courtroom no. 1 of the Basic Court in Čačak was filled with many interested judges, lawyers, experts, trade union representatives and citizens.

They talked primarily about the case law and competences of the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes, about types of disputes eligible for peaceful settlement before the Agency, about individual labor disputes, arbitration, the course of the procedure, the selection of arbitrators and conciliators, collective disputes, about the importance of the Agency operations for trade unions and specific benefits of resolving a dispute before the Agency in comparison with judicial proceedings. Special attention was paid to mobbing and harassment at work and practice of peaceful settlement of these cases, as well as numerous other topics. After the official part, many other issues were raised and discussed.

Through the Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes, a joint Recommendation was signed on the way to resolve a collective labor dispute at the "Službeni Glasnik" Public Company and then, based on it, the Dispute Settlement Agreement.

The procedure before the Agency was initiated by the "Nezavisnost" UGS (United Branch Unions) at the employer "Službeni Glasnik" PC in connection with a collective labor dispute, the subject of which was exercising of the right to determine the representativeness of the trade union at the employer. "Official Gazette" PC accepted that the dispute should be resolved peacefully, through the Agency. After four hearings, the parties in the dispute managed to reach the shared opinion on the disputed issues and signed an Agreement on the settlement of the collective labor dispute.

The representatives of "Nezavisnost" UGS and "Službeni Glasnik" PC showed how social dialogue between employees and employers could be conducted in the right way, deciding on the procedure for peaceful settlement of collective labor disputes, and in accordance with the recommendation of the Government of the Republic of Serbi, that these disputes should be resolved through institutional mechanisms.

The Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labor Disputes mediated in the resolution of a collective labor dispute at the "Beograd" Metropolitan Transport Company (MTC), a public utility company, which has ended by a conciliator’s recommendation. The collective labor dispute on the right to the trade union organizing and action was launched upon proposal of the "Sloga" MTC union, being a part of the "Sloga" United Branch Union as an umbrella organization.

At the first hearing, following the letter of the law the acting conciliator, Predrag Plavkić, set up the conciliation board with himself as the chairperson and representatives of all parties to the dispute. After four hearings, the parties to the dispute failed to reach a common recommendation, but they presented a series of proposals to overcome the situation, and at 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 established a successful dialogue and tensions were reduced in order to find a compromise solution acceptable to both parties. It was recommended to continue the communication and resolve all future disputed issues peacefully through social dialogue.

The Republic Agency for Peaceful Resolution of Labor Disputes adopted the Program of Special Professional Development for Conciliators and Arbitrators for the year 2023.

The professional development program aims to continuously advance the skills and knowledge and standardize the practices of conciliators and arbitrators in the field of peaceful resolution of labor disputes, which is an important prerequisite for the further advancement of the concept of peaceful resolution of labor disputes in practice, and thus effective labor law protection in the Republic of Serbia.

The Program plans for two training sessions for conciliators and arbitrators and special individual training sessions. In 2023, in addition to the aforementioned courses, the Agency will organize other training courses with the expert support of the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the German Organization for International Cooperation in Serbia (GIZ) with which the project "Ensuring adequate access to appeal mechanisms for workers in the automotive, electrical and textile industries" is being implemented in Serbia.

You can download the 2023 special professional development program for conciliators and arbitrators by clicking on the LINK.

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.