Short historical
review
Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia is a
trade union organization with the longest tradition in Serbia.
It was born on March 9 1903 by a decision of various professional
and local organizations (created in the second half of the
19th century), to associate and establish, for the first time
in Serbian history, one trade union confederation - the Workers’
Confederation of Serbia. Federations of workers in the branches
of construction, metal manufacturing, commerce and printing
as well as Workers Society of Belgrade participated in its
creation.
Period between 1903 and 1914 which was rather democratic,
enabled the Confederation do develop its activities, to grow
and to establish its first international contacts. At the
same time the first general strikes were organized, and trade
union school as well as workers cultural centre were established.
Conditions for union activities worsened a lot between 1914
and 1945. Two World wars and regimes often characterized by
the antidemocratic behaviour did not contribute to the regular
development of trade union movement . Nevertheless, it has
to be mentioned that after the creation of the Kingdom of
Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, in April 1919, the Central Trade
Union Workers’ Council of Yugoslavia was created, in which
one forth of all delegates were from Serbia. However, its
strength was undermined by strong divisions existing inside
trade union movement, especially between reformists and Bolsheviks,
as well as by the attempts of some governments to create their
own unions. In spite of frontal attacks on workers, imprisonments
and other forms of oppression, many different activities were
organized.
In the period after the revolution Confederation was made
part of the new social system in which it had not possibility
to act autonomously. Still it took part in the process of
self – management which for many years attracted the attention
of foreign observers as an original form of socialism. |