CNV

On 26 March 2010 SS BOFOS held its four-yearly congress in the city of Belgrade, Serbia. The meeting was visited by some 80 delegates from various banks and affiliated unions. The atmosphere during the congress was one of collegiality, mutual respect and friendship. Many of the delegates were given the opportunity to say a few words.


SS BOFOS president Mrs. Mara Erdelj said in her opening speech:
 
“I hope that this day will be a confirmation of the achieved success of our union. I believe that this day should be the first step towards achieving the goals that we set before our union as well. We need to understand that this congress is very important for us, and its importance is confirmed by numerous guests who come from foreign trade unions, as well as from Serbian state institutions, and from the NGO-sector.”

A few of the words of solidarity said during the congress:

“You have friends in Denmark who want to support you and who are always there for you. At a time of increasing globalization and the current global economic crisis cooperation between unions is most needed, said Mr. Søren Fibiger Olesen, president of the Kristelig Fagbevægelse (KRIFA) of Denmark.

Mr. Bjørn van Heusden, executive secretary of the World Organization of Workers (WOW) said: Your congress is an important democratic tool that can affect not only the future development of the union and your membership to the WOW, but also on Serbian society as a whole.

“SS BOFOS President Mara Erdelj deserves respect for all the things she has done. I hope that the future program tasks - which should be adopted by the delegates - will become the guideline for the SS BOFOS activities, said Mrs. Slavica Savic, Secretary of the Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia (CATUS) Board.

Mr. Nikos Kipos, Treasurer of the Union of the Employees in the National Bank of Greece (SYETE) stated that: “We will continue to resist those who want to get rich of the backs of the workers. Currently, this is happening in Greece, but soon it may happen in other countries as well. We will not allow that workers in any other country are made responsible for financial manipulators mistakes. Because of that we want to express our solidarity.”

The congress adopted four important documents:

1. Work report of the Autonomous Trade Union of Employees in Banks, Insurance Companies and Other Financial Organizations of Serbia in four years period (2006 – 2010).
2. Program of activities and actions of the Autonomous Trade Union of Employees in Banks, Insurance Companies and Other Financial Organizations of Serbia for the next four-year period (2010 – 2015).
3. Statute of the Autonomous Trade Union of Employees in Banks, Insurance Companies and Other Financial Organizations of Serbia.
4. Report of the Supervisory Board.

At the end of the congress Mrs. Mara Erdelj was re-elected as a president of Autonomous Trade
Union of Employees in Banks, Insurance Companies and Other Financial Organizations of Serbia (SS BOFOS). One important change in the statutes was that the congress will be from now on held every five years instead of the four years which it was before.

(for pictures click here)