Belgrade School of Medicine on Strike

Students ZEMUN Photo: Nikola Sablic

The employees of the University of Belgrade's Faculty of Medicine on May 5 entered a strike involving a partial work stoppage until their demands are met.

Employee representatives want protection for students, the prosecution of all persons who have assaulted them, an end to "calls for open violence against students, fellows and teachers in both state and private media outlets," and the cessation of the Serbian Education Ministry's practice of extraordinary inspections and other forms of pressure on University leadership.

The employees also want student demands to be met, "which would allow for the students to return to the educational process in full and ensure that the 2024/25 school year can be completed by all students."

The list of demands, which has been sent to the Serbian government, the Education Ministry and the leadership of the university school, includes the abolition of a government decree on the standards for working conditions in areas and activities financed from the budget and the annulment of the provision changing the ratio of teaching and research work for university teachers.

While the employees are on strike, there will be no examinations or lectures, practical class sections, or seminars, with the exception of specialization examinations.

The students occupying the University of Belgrade's Faculty of Medicine called on employees at other institutions of higher learning in Serbia to stand by their students in the same way.