Deindustrijalizacija i radnički otpor - Pokret za slobodu

Realizing that he was going to loose this battle, Stefanović tried tohalt production in November 2006, hoping to bankrupt Jugoremedijain order to take it over later as a majority creditor. After March 2007,the state attempted several times to declare Jugoremedija bankruptbecause of the tax-related debt incurred under Stefanović’s management.However, the workers quickly succeeded in reorganizing thecompany’s production lines and to pay the whole debt owed to the statewithin only a few months.Another big challenge was the reconciliation process between theworkers who were fired, and those who stayed to work for Stefanović– especially with those who supported him in public during the struggle.Even though there were several incidents between these groupsin March and April 2007, both the workers’ new management and theunion took a stand that no act of revenge on strikebreakers would betolerated. They also decided that former strikebreakers could no longercount on the privileges they were granted under Stefanović at theexpense of their striking co-workers.During the Shareholders’ Assembly in September 2007, the workers’management proposed their own investment plan to Jugoremedija’sshareholders – this time, the hope was not to seek a ‘solution’ tothe problem of GMP certification by looking for an outside investor,but to do so through Jugoremedija's own revenues. The EUR 15 millioninvestment plan was supported by the Assembly. The state, nowagain in possession of 42% of the shares, abstained from voting. Afterthe Shareholders’ Assembly vote, Serbia’s Ministry of the Economy decidednot to try selling its share of Jugoremedija before the reconstructionof the factory was completed.According to workers' plans, the reconstruction is to be completedby August 2009.Reflecting on the outcome of their victory, it is important to notethat this particular model of workers’ control unfortunately can't technicallybe applied to most workplaces under Serbia’s current legal orderregulating privatization. Nonetheless, Jugoremedija has become asymbol for workers struggles throughout Serbia, because it has shownthat solidarity, as well as persistent and clever ACTIVISM can triumphover powerful enemies like Jovica Stefanović and the state administration.The current struggle by Jugoremedija workers to reconstruct anddevelop their factory shows how RESPONSIBILITY for property canprovide peace and understanding between people with such opposing324