The trade union of the Agricultural Combine Belgrade (PKB) is opposing the privatization of the company because they argue that „PKB is a company of strategic importance both for Belgrade and Serbia“.
The trade union president, Milan Kojic said that the trade union wants the relevant authorities to re-examine PKB’s operations, and to penalize the management that caused the company’s woes.
According to Kojic, the trade union’s stance is that PKB can be transformed into a profitable company through restructuring, a more responsible management and cutting back on costs.
“If the end goal is to technologically improve PKB, which is impossible to do without the involvement of private capital, the trade union thinks that the only acceptable way of having private capital entering the company is through a strategic partnership agreement”, Kojic added.
Such agreement should clearly state that the strategic partner should continue the production in the same volume or bigger, for the state to remain the majority owner of PKB, and for the existing workforce to continue working in the company.
Kojic went on to say that, in the last three years, the company demonstrated that it could operate successfully and profitably despite not being eligible for milk subsidies like private farms.
To remind, eight companies have submitted the letter of interest in privatization of PKB – a businessman from the Serbian village of Kovin, two companies from Serbia (MK group and Matijevic Meat Industry), Al Dahra from the United Arab Emirates, companies from China and Singapore and two companies from Great Britain which wish to remain anonymous for now.
(Nova Ekonomija, 15.03.2017)
http://novaekonomija.rs/vesti-iz-zemlje/sindikat-pkb-a-se-protivi-privatizaciji-te-kompanije
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