Serbian Strikers Block National Railways

Strikers continue to block international trains from passing through Serbia on the Lapovo railway line, demanding unpaid wages.

Around 100 workers on Tuesday blocked the transportation of goods and people along the country's main railway line in a protest over unpaid salaries. The protests are taking place in Lapovo, some 100 kilometers south of the capital, Belgrade.

Employees from the Lapovo and Zastava-Electro companies refuse to unblock the railway from Belgrade to Nis, along Corridor 10, which connects trains to Sofia and onwards to Turkey.

The workers claim they have not been paid for eight months, and are demanding that the unpaid wages go toward their pensions. The workers are also demanding that the two factories restart their production activities again after undergoing recent privatization.

Workers' representatives will arrive in Belgrade today for meetings with Labor Ministry officials, but until there is a resolution, the railway will remain blocked, strikers told local media.

Serbian Railways are warning of considerable delays due to the strike but will reroute international trains going through Serbia.