GSP Belgrade worker claims transfer is retaliation for transit protests

Slobodan Jovančević, a service scheduling chief and commissioner for the Independent Union at the Dorćol depot of GSP Belgrade, has been transferred to the Zemun depot. Jovančević claims the transfer is retaliation for his support of worker protests against the fragmentation of the public transport company, the loss of transit lines to private operators, and the closure of the Dorćol depot.

Jovančević stated that he has faced pressure for five weeks due to his stance, which differed from the official position of the Independent Union. He noted that while the union advised against participating in protests, his colleagues organized immediate action to prevent the takeover of transit lines.

The dispute follows a meeting between a GSP worker delegation and President Aleksandar Vučić, which reportedly resulted in a suspension of the public-private partnership with the company Strela. Jovančević characterized the President as the only leader who addressed the workers' demands, which include purchasing new trolleybuses and buses and ensuring state guarantees that no transit lines are handed over to private entities.