Serbian Preschool Teachers Postpone Protest to October 17

The Independent Union of Preschool Education and Upbringing of Serbia has postponed the protest it had scheduled for Saturday, October 10, in Belgrade. The new date is Saturday, October 17, at the same place and time. The union announced the decision on Friday, October 9, after the General Secretariat of the Government sent it a letter about an annex to the Special Collective Agreement.

What did the government tell the union?

Union president Bosiljka Jovanovic told Danas that the union’s Republic Board unanimously decided to move the protest, and then described what had arrived from the government:

“We received a notice, by email and by courier, from the General Secretariat of the Government saying that the Ministry of Education has submitted to the General Secretariat a draft conclusion accepting the proposed amendments to the Special Collective Agreement for employees in preschool education institutions, which will be considered at the government’s next session.”

According to Jovanovic, the letter was signed by Government Secretary General Petar Janjic and carried the markings “very urgent” and “delivered in person via the registry office.” The union tied the postponement to the outcome of that session: “If the Government of Serbia does not adopt the proposed Annex to the Special Collective Agreement at its next session, we will gather on Saturday, October 17,” the union said.

Why is the union giving the government another chance?

Jovanovic addressed union members in a video message. She also mentioned the approval the union received for the latest draft of the annex:

“We also received by email the approval of the latest draft of the annex to the Special Collective Agreement. Our first priority is that our employees get the rights we have talked about so much lately, especially employees suffering from the most serious illnesses, who should be entitled to 100 percent sick pay even after one month. The Republic Board of the Union has decided to give the government one more chance for the sake of these employees, and to postpone the protest to next Saturday, October 17. If they have not taken us seriously, we will see you then in even greater numbers to show our determination.”

What does the union want?

The main demand is 100% pay during sick leave for employees with malignant diseases, including after the first month of leave. Jovanovic said the union is asking for this “in line with the rights that employees at other levels of education already have.”

The list also includes:

• mandatory preventive health checkups starting January 1, 2027
• a more precisely defined right to a higher pay coefficient for teachers who work with children who need additional support
• stronger union rights
• clearer conditions for organizing a strike, since the union says the current rules effectively make it impossible for preschool teachers to stop work without endangering the needs of children

Nine months of talks without a signature

Negotiations on the annex have lasted nine months, and the document has still not been signed. Jovanovic said nine points of amendments to the Special Collective Agreement have been agreed, but the deal has not been formalized by signing the annex. The union says further dissatisfaction came from negative opinions issued by other competent ministries, which have seriously damaged trust in the negotiating process.

The protest was set for a Saturday so that as many employees as possible could take part, Jovanovic explained. Union representatives say the protest is part of a previously established plan and that they expect the government to adopt the appropriate conclusions. The matter is on the agenda of the government’s next session, and its outcome will determine whether preschool employees gather on October 17.