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Serbia's biggest trade union threatens strike
BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbia's government-controlled trade union threatened
on Monday to call a general strike if the results of September 24 elections
are not re-examined over the next two days, independent Beta news agency
said.
The Alliance of Serbian Trade Unions (SSSJ), which is normally fiercely
loyal to Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, urged the Federal Electoral
Commission and political parties which participated in the ballot to
establish the exact count in every polling station by Wednesday.
"If true data is not determined and publicly announced by that time the
union will, respecting the will of its members, call all its members...to a
general strike," the statement said.
The alliance, Serbia's largest trade union, rallies about one million
workers according to its own estimates.
Later on Monday the Association of Independent Trade Unions (ASNS), which is
part of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia bloc, said police had arrested
its members who were taking part in protests over the elections.
"So far nine of our members have been arrested. The magistrate sentenced
them to 15 days in jail and immediately sent them to serve the sentences,"
ASNS said in a statement faxed to Reuters.
ASNS called on police to stop arresting its members and release those
imprisoned.
A protest campaign called by opponents of Milosevic has spread across
Serbia. Protesters demand Milosevic recognise the results of the
presidential poll in which they say opposition candidate, Vojislav
Kostunica, won outright victory.
Workers at two large coal mines have joined the protest but this is the
first time a government-controlled trade union appears to be siding with
opposition demands for a vote recount.
Union officials were not immediately available for comment.
ISSUE 1958 Wednesday 4 October 2000
Swiss freeze £57m in 'Milosevic bank accounts'
By Fiona Fleck in Berne
Swiss Bankers Association
Protesters bring Serb capital to standstill
SWITZERLAND has frozen £57 million from about 100 secret bank accounts
linked to Slobodan Milosevic.
It was the first time that the Swiss authorities have taken such measures
against a current head of state. The disclosure by Kaspar Villiger, the
Swiss finance minister, came in response to a parliamentary question by MP
Jean Ziegler.
Yesterday Mr Ziegler said banking regulators believed that the accounts were
used to purchase arms and supplement the pay of Belgrade's MUP military
police force, which is loyal to Milosevic. He said: "This is scandalous as
Switzerland is supposed to cracking down on this kind of business."
The fate of the funds depend on whether Milosevic stays in power. Mr Ziegler
said: "If a new government comes to power, they will demand the funds back."
Ottmar Wyss, the head of export sanctions at the Swiss Economics Ministry,
said some of the 100 accounts belonged to Yugoslav companies, while others
were held by some of 300 Milosevic cronies who appeared on an EU blacklist
last year. None was in the president's own name.
Western officials believe Milosevic and his entourage have plundered as much
as £3.4 billion from Yugoslavia. In recent years, Switzerland has frozen the
assets of the former dictators Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines,
Jean-Claude Duvalier of Haiti, Mobuto Sesi Seko of Zaire and Sani Abacha of
Nigeria.
30 January 2000: Nigerian dictator hid £400m in Swiss banks
24 June 1999: Milosevic assets frozen by Swiss
29 August 1995: Banks to hand back Marcos millions
© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2000. Terms & Conditions of reading.
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----- Original Message -----
From: William Meecham <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, October 04, 2000 10:51 AM
Subject: Re: [CHOMSKY] General Strike continues!
> This is faintly reminiscent of the cold war liberalism. The people
> of Yugo. naturally know that the US is threatening more slaughter.
> Nicuaragua comes to mind. The US slaughter puts other accusations to
shame.
>
> >
> > At 08:39 AM 10/4/2000, William Meecham wrote:
> > >We get enough of this from the friendly corp. media, no need for a
> > >person(?) inside Yugo.
> >
> > Yes, in fact, there *is* a need for this, just as I'd hope you people
> > wouldn't try to silence a member of the Iraqi opposition against Saddam
> > Hussein should one ever be brave enough to raise his/her head. Just
> > because the US is opposed to Milosevic and he calls himself a socialist
> > doesn't automatically make him good. The unions are against him. A lot
of
> > others are against him, leaving aside US/NATO influence. He was a
scumbag
> > long before he sent his soldiers into Kosovo.
> >
> > Alister
> >
> >
> > "If anarchists are capable of authoritarian attitudes ... I should
> > no more hail one as a comrade, sight unseen, than I would a state
> > trooper or used-car dealer. The label is not a warranty."
> > -- My Anarchism Problem by Bob Black --
> >
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