“Labor rights are human rights. We are not giving up the joint fight!” – this is the message for the workers from Vietnam, employed on the construction of the Linglong factory in Zrenjanin, sent by the activists involved in the fight for their status, on the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, marked on the 10th of December.
“Workers’ rights are human rights. We are not giving up the fight for you!” was written on a banner brought by activists from Zrenjanin, Novi Sad and Belgrade in front of the fence of the accommodation facilities of Vietnamese workers engaged in the construction of the Linglong factory, during the lunch break, so that the workers could see this message. The message was written in Serbian and Vietnamese.
On the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, some twenty activists from A 11 – Initiative for Economic and Social Rights, ASTRA – Anti-Trafficking Action, Zrenjanin Social Forum, Zrenjanin Action, October Cooperative, PAOR – Pannonian Anti-Fascist Organization, CK 13 and other organizations that have provided and are still providing support and assistance to the workers engaged in the construction of the factory came to the Linglong construction site.
“People who are 8-9000 km away from home, in a foreign country, living in inhumane conditions and are denied the rights to a dignified life and work, managed to rebel and alarm the public.” That’s why we think that workers from Vietnam, employed on the construction of the Linglong factory, are among the biggest fighters for human rights in Serbia today,” said Milica Marinković from A 11 Initiative on this occasion.
Tara Rukeci from the Zrenjanin Social Forum pointed out that this is not a unique case, neither for Serbia nor for other countries, and that it is important that citizens in solidarity do not stop supporting workers from Vietnam; similar actions will take place in the future.
On this occasion, ASTRA activists carried a banner with the contact information of the Victim Support Team, 011 785 0000, sos@astra.rs, so that potential victims of labor trafficking would know how to contact them and be familiar with the types of available help and support guaranteed by law and international conventions.
We remind you that two days ago A 11 Initiative filed criminal charges against a responsible person in the company “China Energy Engineering Group Tianjin Electric Power Construction” and “Linglong International Europe” from Zrenjanin due to the well-founded suspicion that the crime of unlawful deprivation of liberty and violation of rights on strike had been committed. In mid-November ASTRA – Anti-Trafficking Action already informed all relevant state authorities about the conditions of accommodation and the fulfillment of indicators of human trafficking, but we are still waiting a concrete action to be taken by the relevant state authorities. Yesterday, information was disclosed stating that the European Parliament would discuss the “resolution on forced labor in Linglong” at its session scheduled for the 16th of December.
A 11 – Initiative for Economic and Social Rights
ASTRA – Anti-Trafficking Action
Anti-Fascist Front 23 October
Zrenjanin Social Forum
Zrenjanin Action
October Cooperative
Joint Action Roof over Our Head Novi Sad
Solidarity Kitchen Novi Sad
Youth Center CK 13
PAOR – Pannonian Anti-Fascist Organization
