2025-03-13

Roundtable: Key Issues in Labour Legislation in Serbia

Labour Rights and Decent Work in Socio Economic Reforms in Serbia - Black and White

On 13 March 2025 in Belgrade, the Center for Democracy Foundation organised a roundtable discussion on the current state of labour legislation in Serbia. The event brought together relevant stakeholders, including independent experts, trade union representatives, employers, academia, and civil society, to analyse the existing legislative framework, discuss key challenges, and propose concrete steps for its improvement.

The basis for the discussion was the study entitled Key Issues in Labour Legislation in Serbia, authored by Professor Bojan Urdarević and Assistant Jovana Misailović, prepared within the project “Labour Rights and Decent Work in Socio-Economic Reforms in Serbia – In Black and White”, implemented by the Center for Democracy Foundation with the support of the Olof Palme International Center.

Participants emphasised the urgent need to halt the fragmentation of Serbia’s labour legislation and adopt a new Employment Act that adequately recognises and regulates all forms of employment. Among the main challenges identified were: insufficient labour inspection and oversight of legal compliance; inconsistent and inefficient judicial practice; weak social dialogue; and emerging forms of work lacking adequate labour protection.

In addition to the authors of the study, Professor Bojan Urdarević and Assistant Jovana Misailović, the discussion featured contributions from Nataša Vučković (Center for Democracy Foundation), Jovana Spaić Erdeljan (International Labour Organization), Slađana Kiković (United Branch Trade Unions Independence), Zoran Stojiljković (retired Professor), Bojana Tamindžija (Centre for Politics of Emancipation), Svetlana Budimčević (Employers’ Union of Serbia), Bojan Božović (Judge), Zoran Radoman (Autonomous Union of Forestry and Wood Processing Workers), among others.

The Center for Democracy Foundation is actively engaged in promoting amendments to the Employment Act and raising public awareness about proposed reforms—through cooperation with local governments, trade unions, employers, the business community, and civil society. The study identified ten key issues, and the Foundation plans to focus on those that civil society in Serbia can effectively monitor, advocate for, and promote as viable solutions for adoption.

The roundtable was organized as part of the project “Labour Rights and Decent Work in Socio Economic Reforms in Serbia - Black and White”, supported by the Olof Palme International Center.