Social Front protest in Belgrade; Photo: Mašina.

What is the Social Front?

The Social Front is not a political party and does not intend to stand for elections. It emerged, as stated, on the wave of a mass movement launched by student blockades, strikes and protests across the country, first officially on 8 March at the “Shoulder to Shoulder” protest, about which we wrote previously on Mašina.

The Social Front association comprises 16 workers’ collectives, trade unions and formal and informal professional communities and associations. Let us recall that the Social Front had its first public appearance at the protest on 28 June in Belgrade [1].

Objectives of the Social Front

The declaration states that the signatories wish to establish a confederation of workers’ collectives and professional associations from different sectors which will aim to work together on systemic changes in society.

In addition, the objectives of the Social Front are: fulfilment of student demands, fulfilment of demands from the Minimum Programme
concerning individual sectors and social and economic issues generally, establishment of a permanent democratic structure for continuous control and pressure on decision-makers, realisation of the right of all who live from their work to participate in resolving issues of their own sector, as well as to actively participate in making decisions concerning their local community, but also issues of the wider social community.

The declaration also states that the Social Front rests on the principles of direct democracy, solidarity, mutual support, independence and humanism.

“The Social Front, through connecting and joint action of workers from different sectors, will work to return the institutions of the system, usurped by the authorities, to society and to make them function for the common good of citizens. The central document of the Front is the Programme Minimum, which emerges through public discussions and workshops, with the participation of all affiliated sectors. This document identifies the causes and consequences of the crisis within each sector and sets guidelines for overcoming it – from changes to laws to larger systemic changes and expanded cooperation among sectors. At the same time, the Programme Minimum recognises problems around which there is general social consensus”, writes the declaration.

Organisation within the Social Front

The declaration emphasises that members of the Social Front are grouped according to different sectors to which they belong and through cooperation of several associations and collectives work on writing the Programme Minimum for their own sectors.

“Besides advocating for changes in each individual sector, the Social Front also advocates for the adoption of amendments to the Labour Law and the Strike Law, which have been prepared in cooperation between students and five national trade unions, as well as amendments to other laws of general significance with the aim of creating a more just society”, states the declaration.

The Social Front calls upon workers’ collectives, trade unions, professional associations and communities that support student demands and the struggle for systemic changes to join the Social Front.

“Our common task is difficult, but necessary – to build a just and solidary society with institutions that work for the common good of all citizens”, the Social Front declares.

The signatories of the declaration are: Community of Preschool Workers – Preschool Circle, PULS of Belgrade Primary Schools, PULS of Belgrade Secondary Schools, United Zemun Primary Schools [2], Trade Union in Formation “Unity EPS” [3], Assembly of Healthcare Workers of Serbia, Community of Arts and Culture, Trade Union of Musical Artists, IT Serbia, Trade Union of Media Workers in Formation – SMER, Judiciary Trade Union, Voice of Education – Zaječar [4], Plenum of Educational Workers of Kraljevo [5], Plenum of Knjaževac Educators [6], Group of Engineers of Serbia – Engineers’ Demands, and Education Association of Banat [7].

A.G.A.