29. 07. 2005

DISMISSED JOURNALISTS GOT THEIR JOBS BACK

VALJEVO, July 29, 2005 – The fourth week of media workers’ walkout in Valjevo weekly “Napred” was marked by the activities of the Valjevo Municipal Court. This Court has firstly ordered new company director Jovan Bugarski to return illegally taken computer equipment from the weekly’s offices. According to the claims of journalist and one of the striking staffers Slobodan Ciric, the legal representative and director’s advisor Spasoje Radovic told the strikers that the equipment would be returned if they complied with the temporary measure which prohibited them to leave the weekly offices after 14.30. “We’ve respected this decision for some time now. Radovic however should better tell the police the whereabouts of the ‘stolen’ equipment of Napred”, said Ciric. The municipal court has passed another temporary measure which ordered director Jovan Bugarski to ensure the return of journalists Slobodan Ciric, Rada Filipovic and Zoran Milovanovic to their jobs. Assistant to the Culture Minister Vladimir Tomcic was also present at the protest of around 100 people. Tomcic repeated the opinion of the Culture Ministry that the Valjevo Municipal Council “should revise its decision on appointment of the new director of this publishing company”. These events in the Valjevo weekly are surely coincided with the anticipated privatization of the company. The fact, that its circulation for the past few weeks has rapidly dropped, points to someone’s interest to cut down the selling price of the weekly. “Workers should be allowed to buy local media for favorable price, because they have created them. I call on all Valjevo inhabitants to protect “Napred” and prevent its turning into a foreign bulletin, in which case it would be good for nothing”, Tomic said.