Belgrade city transport short of 1,000 drivers

Nebojša Mitrović sindikat vozača gsp
N1

Many Belgrade city transport (GSP) drivers are leaving the company because they are dissatisfied with low salaries and poor working conditions.

GSP drivers’ union leader Nebojsa Mitrovic told N1 that GSP lacks some 1,000 drivers so the city transport could function effectively and announced that his colleagues would stage a protest on July 14.

Mitrovic told TV N1 that the GSP has “very big” problems, and that the drivers mostly complain of low salaries, a six-day work week and poor working conditions.

“We need about 3,500 drivers in the GSP so the city transport could operate normally, and we have about 2,500. That is not enough,” said Mitrovic, adding that an increasing number of drivers are leaving for Germany and other Western countries because of higher salaries that they can send to their families in Serbia.

Commenting the information that local drivers could be replaced by foreigners, Mitrovic said that, according to unofficial information, that is the plan of a consortium of private carriers in Belgrade. “There are indications that they will organize a group of experts who will go to some countries and bring back 100 to 150 drivers who will get ready for September,” said Mitrovic.