Serbia 's Zastava workers protest enters 9th day .
BELGRADE 1996-08-29
Workers at Serbia 's Zastava arms factory entered the ninth day of their protest over unpaid wages on Thursday with management accused them of rejecting talks .
" The workers keep on gathering in the centre of the town , " the factory 's general manager Vukasin Filipovic told Reuters . "
But they do not want to talk to anyone . "
" They want to discuss in public , at their protest meetings , " Filipovic said . "
And that is impossible . "
The Zastava works in the central town of Kragujevac is the backbone of Serbia 's defence industry , supplying the army with a whole range of weapons .
Its workers are staging protests in the town 's main square demanding June and July wages and last year 's holiday pay .
On Wednesday , the union demanded the resignation of the factory manager .
But Filipovic said he would not quit under pressure . "
We can talk about it and I am prepared to take all the consequences of mismanagement if any . "