Vesna Lakićević, an employee of Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) and the Kolubara Mining Basin, who was fired after expressing support for student protests on social media, is set to return to work following a temporary court order, pending the resolution of her dispute with EPS.
Lakićević shared her concerns with FoNet, stating that she had been reassigned to a different job position, which comes with a lower salary, no benefits, and the need for retraining in an area unrelated to her 38 years of experience in direct production. “I was given a ‘normal’ coefficient, but I have no shift, no benefits, and they placed me in a department with which I have no prior experience, meaning I need to undergo full training,” she explained.
In previous statements, Lakićević criticized the EPS rulebook, which she claims was used as the basis for her dismissal. She argued that the rulebook is discriminatory, primarily targeting her social media activities rather than work-related misconduct. She explained that she had simply shared a Facebook post supporting student protests, in which she used a logo created by the students. The post, which she said expressed her belief in the need for justice and the rule of law, led to accusations from EPS. Lakićević pointed out that the logo used in her post was designed by the students, and she only shared it in support of their cause. She also emphasized her discontent with the EPS union leader, Đokin, accusing him of using his position to encourage workers to support President Aleksandar Vučić.
Lakićević stated that EPS failed to follow proper procedures during her dismissal. She noted that she had not been formally disciplined before her firing, which she believes was not handled according to the established regulations.
Lakićević is not alone in her situation. Two other EPS employees, Goran Perišić and Dragoslav Ljubičić, were also fired for similar reasons. Goran Perišić, who was dismissed after sharing a holiday message with a red-painted fist, is also returning to work based on a decision from the Labor Inspectorate. His lawyer, Ivan Ninić, revealed that the inspectorate determined that Perišić should be reinstated until the court proceedings are concluded, but the inspection did not delve into the reasons behind his firing. Ninić further explained that EPS had canceled the wrong employment contract for Perišić, as his original contract from 1997 was altered over time.
EPS claimed that Perišić’s dismissal was due to non-compliance with internal regulations. Likewise, Dragoslav Ljubičić, like Lakićević, has been reinstated to a different position with a lower salary and coefficient until the dispute with EPS is settled.
These cases highlight ongoing tensions within EPS, particularly over the treatment of employees who voiced their opinions on social issues and the apparent lack of proper legal processes during their dismissals.
