The Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Janković, participated in the national conference on the Position of Women in Trade Unions in Serbia, organized by the OSCE Mission to Serbia in cooperation with the FemPlatz Women’s Association.

The Commissioner pointed out that trade unions are very important for the protection and realization of employees’ rights because they can submit complaints to the Commissioner, since workers are often hesitant to do it themselves out of fear. As the experience of our institution shows that it is in the field of labor and employment that the most reported cases of discrimination are submitted by women, I believe that women’s trade union activism is crucial for improving their position on the labor market. That is why it is necessary to provide additional support to trade union activists in their efforts to strengthen their role in trade unions but in the society as well, said Janković.

The modern age has brought a whole series of changes that have inevitably affected the labor market. Globalization and its socio-economic consequences have led to a change in the position of trade unions. Trade union leaders should find answers to the challenges of the economic explosion of the so-called “third” or service sector and the growing individualization of labor rights, followed by a proportional decline in solidarity and collective class consciousness. New topics such as gender equality and the position of women can be the coveted impetus concluded Commissioner Janković.

The results of the research on the position of women in Serbia were also presented at the conference organized through the “zoom” video platform.